Albedo Caelum
by Our Brightest Stars
Summary: She just had the simple ambitions to play volleyball professionally and survive long enough to become middle aged, maybe even grant Nana's greatest wish and give her grandchildren. Somehow, she gained minions, one hell of a tutor, and a nonrefundable offer to become the next Vongola Decima along the way... Score. [SI!OC as Fem!Tsuna. Semi-jaded!OC. AU: parallels cannon & diverges.]
1. Begin

_I know exactly what I want and who I want to be._  
 _I know exactly why I walk and talk like a machine._  
 _I'm now becoming my own self-fulfilled prophecy._  
 _Oh, oh no, oh no, oh no, oh..._

\- Oh No!, Marina and the Diamonds (2010).

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 **Albedo Caelum 01: Incipere.**

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 **June 18, 2004.**

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Sometimes, she would remember things from the Before when she finally fell asleep at night, dreaming of another life and another world different from the one she was in now. It wasn't always the most interesting or the happiest life, as there was a sizable portion dedicated to her being inside a classroom, tiptoeing around her childhood house in the hopes to not attract attention, getting in fights, stressing over both rent and due dates for college assignments later on... That isn't to say that there was an absence of good moments, too: spending countless days with a friend who was more of a sibling than anything else, walks on long white beaches with dunes of sand taller than houses, laughing with friends, raising and fostering stray cats among other things.

She would remember her life from Before sometimes, but in most cases, she couldn't recall much of it at all. During her dreams, she would lose her sense of self, confuse the Now and the Before, events crossing over into each other as dreams were wont to do, intersecting reality and fiction.

But make no mistake, when Tsunaoko Sawada was awake, she knew what reality was and her dreams weren't it.

While she might not remember the Before in its entirety like she might wish to believe in her dreams, Tsuna could acknowledge that she had a life before the one she had now. And that in order to be alive now, she would have had to die then. That was a Fact, one that was accepted regardless of any unease that was felt on closer inspection of it. It wasn't as if she could have done anything about it anyway, besides maybe attempt to ignore and forget about the Before... Which she probably would have done, if not for the dreams.

Even worse, they were vague and faded away for the most part when she woke up, leaving only basic ideas and emotions behind, the details slipping from her grasp all too readily. It made any possible 'benefits' not worth it, as they disturbed her sleep at night — _leaving her to startle awake and interrupt her much needed rest_ — while the 'pay off' disappeared like ephemeral mist. Said dreams only settled when it neared the early hours of the morning, leading Tsuna to sleep in as late as noon, if left undisturbed, and to be tired for most of the day. To her, the dreams were a burden at worst and a nuisance at best.

Which explained her current and usual predicament of being more than a little late for volleyball practice by the time her mother called for her to get out of bed.

Tsuna was a light sleeper, so by the time the older woman began to climb the stairs when she didn't receive an answer, the younger female of the household was letting out a jaw cracking yawn. "Tsu-Tsu-chan!" Nana, her mother, called for the fourth time, poking her head in through the open door as she uttered the loathed pet name from childhood years long past. "Oh, you're awake, good. You're going to be behind schedule again if you don't hurry..." Eying the rather untidy room before her, Mrs. Sawada added with an air of resigned exasperation, "And your room is a mess, as usual."

"...'S more cluttered than anythin'," the teen mumbled half-heartedly in defense, her voice heavy with sleep. "There's a system to it... I think."

"Not one that I understand." The mother stepped in further and began to straighten things out, despite her daughter's lackluster protest of it not being necessary. It didn't matter anyway, the test from yesterday was in her mother's hands, bad score brazenly presented and all. "And your scores are about the same too... Forty-two, Tsuna?"

The brunette closed her eyes and let out a slow sigh. What made everything worse was that her mom wasn't every angry or disappointed anymore, just resigned to the same old news that she had been getting for the past eight years. Tsuna had even been dismal in nursery school, more from a lack of motivation and energy than anything else. And if she was honest with herself, she had been a loser and a burden since day one.

If not for her childhood epilepsy and subsequent nutritional deficiencies, she would have been an extremely low-maintenance baby. Tsunaoko Sawada had been unusually quiet as an infant. It something that had been immediately noticeable at the start of her new life and contributed to why part of her name could be translated to 'docile'. Her reticent demeanor later became a source of concern and anxiety. Just another symptom to fuss and fret over, another defect to tut and remark upon.

It had carried well into her toddler years to the point where people wondered if she would be a slow child, her mental as well as physical development stunted by her condition. Nana had cried tears of joy when her daughter had finally got around to saying her first word at the age of three and a half. Terribly relieved because her sole child could, in fact, talk and wasn't completely hopeless. Even if the mangled Japanese Tsuna did speak made her sound like some sort of thug.

With a strictly maintained diet and medication, the seizures lessened as she went through the beginning stages of puberty. The doctor had cautiously pronounced that Tsuna may have out-grown her seizures, as many children diagnosed with idiopathic seizures were. Still, she had to visit her pediatrician three times a year for all of middle school before they would decrease it to two times a year to keep an eye on her condition in case of a sudden relapse. Nana insisted that the blonde carry an tube of cake icing on hand and an emergency contact slip in her backpack at all times.

So much of her personality and anti-social demeanor had been chalked up to an actual medical condition, explained away with a convenient excuse, when in reality it only partially contributed to it. Tsuna had been in shock and in grief from everything she had lost, what few moments she had in infancy when she was cognizant were spent stewing in depression and regret. She had withdrawn into a deep-pit of listless self-loathing, and it was only in toddlerhood that she began to make an attempt to move on and interact with her environment.

...

Tsuna didn't get very far and pretty much gave up after a while, deciding to accept whatever fate was handed to her. Mostly what kept her going at this point was guilt, spite, and her obsession with volleyball, the only thing that remained the same as Before. There was also fact that she was also half-resigned to a future as a career criminal by association with her only "friend", but that was beside the point.

Tsuna couldn't even muster up a kernel of guilt at the thought of her less-than-mediocre lifestyle, either. Instead, she would feel shame over her _lack_ of said guilt from what she put her mother through without making the necessary judgements to rectify it, as there was no driving motivator in doing so. Everything seemed to continue and drag on just the same, no matter what she did. And if she actions wouldn't change anything, why waste the effort? ...She wondered if that made her a terrible child.

Out loud, she gave the stock answer, "'S just math. Only reason I got that good've a score was 'cause it's a mix've geometry 'n' algebra. Can I get that back?" Tsuna made to grab the test paper from her mom but overextended her reach, falling out of bed with a tumble from her legs tangling in the sheets. She narrowly missed face-planting on the ground by catching herself with her arms. Her elbows complained about the abuse.

Mrs. Sawada blinked at this but made no move to help, asking, "Are you okay?"

"'M fine," came the weak response. "Can I get my test now?"

The older woman considered her daughter with thoughtful amber eyes for a long moment before she offered a sheet of paper that she had kept in her apron pocket instead. "Here."

"Ah, my test." Tsuna lifted her head, her eyes crossing slightly to focus on the sheet in front of her face, only to frown in consternation. "Wait, what's this?"

"It was in the mail," Nana said by way of answer, a smile taking over her face as a light began to shine in her eyes. "I called the number and they said they would send a tutor over today. I know how the school counselors and tutors didn't work before, but this is something separate from school district. I'm sure it will help this time around!"

Interested now, if a little doubtful, Tsuna straightened herself out into a sitting position and gingerly took the flyer, giving it a once over. To be sure, from another person's perspective, a tutor wouldn't be remiss with her, but Tsuna knew better than anyone else that her problem didn't result from lack of understanding or mental ability. Rather, it was lack of drive and intrigue.

In other words, she just didn't care. What she really needed was a motivator of some kind.

But the teen wasn't against the idea of a tutor if they could deliver the goods in what they promised. Surely, a 'future world leader' would have someone who could give them the necessary push needed to do something so ambitious? And surely, these tutors would be the ones to provide said urging?

She could only assume they meant business. Twenty-four hours a day was a big commitment, even if it was a task that would likely be shared amongst more than one person. It almost seemed too good to be true that they wouldn't charge anything besides room and board. In fact, she would be inclined to think it a scam, if not for the fact that no money was requested. Still, caution would have to be exercised in making sure than Sawada household wouldn't be robbed blind, because they weren't careful about what strangers they let in through their doors. Handing the sheet back to her eagerly awaiting mother, Tsuna said, "Well, we can try it out for a while, I guess... But I won't worry 'bout it 'til after school."

 _Speaking of which_ , she wondered to herself, _what time is it?_ A glance at the clock informed her that was a half past six in the morning, making a jolt of alarm go through her. "Hieee, oh no! It's this late already?!" Scrambling to her feet, she scurried over to the table in the middle of her room that held her gym clothes and modified uniform, hurriedly pulling former on after slinging her sleep shirt off and across the room to her mom's mild scolding.

"I thought you said your room wasn't messy?"

"'S more cluttered than anythin', I can clean it when I get home," Tsuna sputtered from under her jersey shirt as she staggered out into the hall, her modified uniform in the other hand. She had only just managed to pull it the rest of the way down so that her head was free, when she reached the stairs. It was her own fault that she misjudged their location by being so careless in the first place. Running through the house while blinded with clothes was the quickest way to get hurt. The teen let out a yelp was she slipped down the stairs on her butt, it taking the brunt of the abuse that all fifteen steps readily supplied her.

With a muffled whimper, she rubbed her butt in the hopes to soothe the hurt. It didn't work. "Oww..."

Groaning, she got to her feet and slunk off to the kitchen, still subconsciously continuing to rub the throbbing area. Pulling out the cold soba that had been sitting in the fridge since last night, Tsuna began to actually put together the bentos. She always made the actual food the night before but found it best to construct the food in the morning. It seemed to save time, anyway, and Tsuna preferred her food and drinks cold. Today, there was only one food item that she really needed to cook this morning. She didn't have much time, but something innate told her that the day would go better if she put it the extra effort. So it was only with a small frown on her part that she began to make some hamburger steak.

Besides, seeing the grimace he'd make from her 'sutēki is suteki' pun would be priceless.

Setting the timer after washing her hands, Tsuna rushed to the bathroom to give her hair a good comb through and brush her teeth. Not that attacking her hair with a comb would actually do anything, since she had inherited it from her father. With its feather-fine strands, it steadfastly refused to stay down, electing to go off in random directions. Any attempt to tame it with either a curling or straightening iron was stubbornly rendered useless. With its fine and hay-like nature, it would just revert to its previous state within a couple of hours. Hardly worth the effort. So, Tsuna just kept it short to be done with it, only needing to keep it clean and free of tangles.

Sometimes, she just wished that she had her mother's hair. It may have been as straight and flat as hair could be, but at least it didn't look like she had stuck a fork in an electrical socket or something. Sadly, the only thing that happened was a mixture of colors between the parents to make the honey blonde that Tsuna possessed.

With a huff, the teen bustled back to the kitchen, flipping the mini-steaks over before going back to finishing the bentos. The rice maker beeped, drawing Nana's attention from where she was preparing breakfast. "Ah, the rice is finished, Tsu-Tsu-chan… Are you going to stay for breakfast today?"

"Eh, probably not, Mom," Tsuna pouted. "Not 'nough time, if I wanna make it to practice."

"Oh," Nana sighed. "Shame, it's been awhile since the two of us could just sit and eat breakfast together."

It mostly likely hadn't been her mother's intention, but the remark left the teen feeling horrendously uncomfortable. _Oh, God, maybe I'm an even worse child than I thought. Can't even spare ten minutes to eat a meal with her first thing in the morning._ Not even taking the time to think about her next statement, Tsuna impulsively promised, "I can stay t'morrow, for sure."

Her mother perked up, her brown doe-like eyes hopeful. "Really? It won't get in the way of your practice? Don't you have a match coming up with a neighboring school this week?"

Flushing, Tsuna fidgeted. She had momentarily forgotten how her mom's smile could sometimes be so bright that it looked like it could make flowers bloom from the sheer radiance from it. _And all because I said I could stay for breakfast? What's wrong with me?_ A stab of self-loathing prickled at her which her valiantly ignored in order to smile reassuringly back at the one woman who Tsuna cared for most in this new life. "'M not a regular, Mom, so I'll probably not be in the match… But I know for certain that I can eat breakfast with you, that I can always make time for you… Just unfortunately not t'day, 'cause I've gotta feelin' that Kyōya-san's gonna need a pick-me-up."

"Oh, Kyōya-kun?" Nana cooed, a knowing glint in her eyes as she bumped her hip into her daughter's. "Well, it that case I can hardly blame you, Tsu-Tsu-chan. You should bring him over for dinner again someday instead of always just going over to his place. It would only be fair. I could even plan to make favorites again…" Wistfully, she hummed to herself, a smile spreading sweetly across her face, clearly prompted with thoughts of love. "Ah, this reminds me of when Iemitsu and I were young."

Tsuna couldn't help but smile herself, her own heart feeling soft at that expression. Such genuine emotion like that was hard to ignore and not want to return in kind. Despite his extended period of absence and infrequent visits home, her father was one of the few people who could make Tsuna's mom light up like that. And, aloof though she pretends to be when he was home, Tsuna did love him too.

Still, the teen didn't quite see the connection her mother was making. Oh, she had an idea what Nana was insinuating, but she didn't understand what gave the older woman that impression. Tsuna and Kyōya's relationship was anything but the fluffy and heartwarming one between Mr. and Mrs. Sawada. It had its moments where it was almost sweet… but the fighting fists of fury rather ruined that faraway and hazy image. The teen wrinkled her nose at the thought of Kyōya acting romantic like her dad. _Yeah, no. Not likely to happen in this lifetime_.

Gnawing on her lip in thought, she carefully transported the piping hot hamburger mini-steaks into the bed of rice in the awaiting bento. Hers already long made and finished. Speculatively, she continued on the previous strain of their conversation before it got sidetracked, "Maybe he'll come over, just d'pends on his mood… I've gotta feelin' it's gonna be a bit nasty t'day. He'll either just wanna go sulk by himself or will accept grudgin'ly, manly pride 'n' all that. Might have to beat 'im out of it if he _is_ in a mood."

Her mother gave a laugh at that, remembering how she had once did much the same. Maybe not as literally as her daughter had meant it, but definitely in spirit. She neatly tied the knot on the colorful pink cloth that covered Tsuna's bento before doing the same with the other bento, only with a navy blue cloth. "There, Tsu-Tsu-chan. Now do you have everything packed? You can't afford the time to backtrack today if you forget anything…"

"Quite sure," the blonde affirmed quickly as she stuffed the two bentos in their own dark bag which she then slipped into her overly-large messenger bag. Obediently under her mother's pointed stare, she quickly checked through it one last time to insure that she, indeed, had everything she needed. "Packed it all last night," she explained further, if a bit unnecessarily, before looking at the clock one last time.

It was just about seven in the morning. She needed to hurry if she wanted to make it to morning practice. More than just a little panicked by this knowledge, Tsuana swung the messenger bag over one shoulder before running over to where she kept her sports bag by the door. "Oh no, Captain's gonna make me do laps! I won't have any time to actually practice!" Hurriedly, slinging the sports bag over her other shoulder, she carelessly tossed the parting phase behind her, "I'm off, Mom!", as she hopped out the door, stuffing her shoes on as she did so.

"All right, have a good day!" Her mother called out in amusement before the door was shut firmly behind the teen.

 _I'm going to have to run if I want to make it on time to volleyball_ _practice_ , Tsuna thought mournfully to herself as she started out with a jog, humming to quietly to herself in an attempt to bring up her spirits as her bags bounced against her hips in time to her pace. She looked down at her watch, desperately checking again as if it might have changed to an earlier time. It didn't.

She had forgotten her surroundings.

Tsunaoko Sawada had absentmindedly forgotten the very important fact that a mere three blocks away from her home was a household that owned a dog. A dog that hated her guts because she smelled of the stray cats that she usually petted and fed when she had the chance. A mean dog that had no reservation against chasing and biting her, especially when said dog's owners repeated forgot to make sure the gate was shut tight and their pet was leashed. Because of her lapse in attention, she made the mistake of not going around the house and instead jogged right past it, provoking the demon hound of hell which Tsuna had christened with the apt name of 'Cerberus'. She only realized her grave error after the dog was already barking and growling at her, giving chase.

"Wah, Cerberus's leash isn't attached!" Tsuna cried in alarm, trying to urge herself to run faster. This sudden sprint caused her to trip over her own feet with an alarmed, "Ack!" She fell to the ground with little fanfare, her elbows taking abuse for the second time that day. Resigning herself to an assured death, Tsuna laid there limply with the air of a dead man. The dog attacked the leg of her sweats with a nasty growl, yanking and tugging with sharp teeth.

"Rabbit, I don't remember you being this pathetic the last time I saw you," a snide remark was emitted from around the corner as a tall teenager approached, his tan face pinched in a seemingly angry expression. Tsuna didn't even have to look up to know it was Kyōya. "If you would stop acting like a pathetic herbivore, then you would not be in this position." Addressing the dog now, he growled threatening, "Cerberus, return to your property before I bite you to death." The chihuahua's ears perked up towards the new voice and it whirled around to snarl at this new challenger that dared to interrupt its fun. They locked eyes and Kyōya stared down the so-called 'demon dog', his eyes narrowing in warning. A whimper was heard as the chihuahua immediately retreated back into its doghouse for shelter from the scary human.

"Kyōya-san!" Tsuna cried gleefully, lunging to hug his leg the moment he stepped too close to her person, her melodramatic sobs filling the air. "My hero!" The only response she received was the business end of a tonfa as it prodded her forehead non-to-gently in order to pry her away from his limb. Obligingly, she let go and hopped to her feet, grinning airly at her friend as he eyed her warily. His neutral expression was still as angry-looking as ever with that near permanent scowl and impressively-sharp glaring eyes of his. A rather unfortunate case of resting bitch face, if Tsuna had ever seen one, something that he had always possessed since the day she first laid eyes on him.

She's only seen him smile — _actually smile, not smirk_ — a handful a times, always a little odd-looking with his furrowed brows and those narrowed grey eyes glowering down at her. Actually, sometimes it was scarier seeing him smile like that than his usual fierce-looking smirk. Not even she was immune to his somewhat intimidating face, especially when she had provoked his ire the first time they properly met. Because bowling someone over with a ball, even by accident, isn't exactly the best way to make a good first impression.

Although, he was mostly just a pint-sized brat that had a penchant for biting people back then. He only really got his infamous reputation during primary school when he was finally proficient enough in his kobudō lessons to be a liable threat and was allowed to carry around tonfas with him. Fortunately, they were merely wooden ones in the beginning of his reign of terror, as he wasn't as good at aiming for areas that wouldn't actually cause permanent brain damage then, or knew how to hold back against mere mortals. At that point, he no longer actually 'bit' people, just hit them with his tonfas while declaring them 'bitten to death', as old habits were hard to break in the case of his trademark battle cry.

Tsuna was well aware that the fact that they being 'friends' was considered something of a strange phenomenon among their peers, like a lion becoming friends with a mouse or something to that effect. Or, well, a lion and a gone-feral house cat, considering how she was believed to be a delinquent of some sort that was only just barely held under control by Kyoya's influence. Really, it was the other way around, as Tsuna was usually left to clean up Kyoya's messes — _pathetic and moaning individuals that were the results of the aftermath of the Skylark's overzealous rampage in keeping 'order'_. It was always the case of her being in the wrong place at the wrong time with others making assumptions and not asking for her side of the story. Just a misunderstanding that utterly deteriorated into rampant rumors and incorrect convictions that Kyōya, unfortunately, had no interest in dispelling.

Actually, how she had become considered a yankī was rather similar how it was that Kyōya and her had become so committed to each other, an accident on her part that had somehow been escalated into something else quite entirely.

It had being an innocent correction on her part, scared out of her mind and brainless enough to be on autopilot. In Japanese, the word for 'plant-eater' sounded a lot like the word for someone on a diet, respectively. Tsuna had though he meant the latter and had been trying to say that she was fat or something. And she corrected him, assuming that he had mispronounced the word. _He_ thought that she, of all people, just called him a herbivore.

So he tackled her to the ground and held her in a clumsy choke-hold, the both of them wrestling around in the dirt as he demanded that she take it back. Tsuna began to panic and in a fit of terror, bite down hard on his arm that was smashed against her chin. It was probably the shock more than the pain that made him release her... Too bad that she didn't just let go, jaws clamped firmly in place, fear locking them stiff.

One way or another, Kyōya was the one who came out on the losing end that time. It took two teachers to get her to let go, and it was the formal start of her 'delinquency'. Something that only became worse once uniforms actually became a thing, as Tsuna hadn't realized that wearing a long skirt would get such a reaction. She just didn't feel comfortable running around in the short skirt. Somehow her heightened sense of modesty got her in trouble by making a bad first impression with her already shaky reputation among the teachers as a 'no-good trouble maker' with her bad grades, thuggish way of speaking, and tendency to get in fights... Never mind the fact that it was mostly her trying to stop Kyōya from biting everyone to death. Even when she briefly switched to wearing the regular skirt with a pair of short-shorts underneath, it was too late and just wearing the long skirt seemed to be less effort in the long run as well as more comfortable.

By the time the last years of primary school rolled around, it was firmly cemented in the collective mind of Namimori Primary School that she was 'No-Good Tsuna'. This was mostly from the sense and generally accepted belief that she was both up to no good and that nothing good from spending time in her company, as unintentionally as she had created this infamous reputation of hers. And with Kyōya refusing to leave her be, she was immediately placed as the accomplice to whatever fight he started and/or finished. Whether she was a bystander or attempting to break up the fight didn't seem to matter, especially since she rather lacked the vocabulary to properly explain everything... Nor the motivation, having long-since reconciled with herself the idea that nothing she could possibly say would be able to fully explain the weird arrangement properly.

When spring of her third year there came about and the new first term had begun, Tsuna had become resigned to her status as a 'hopeless delinquent' and friendless save for Kyōya, who still refused to leave her be and was the main reason no one else would willingly approach her. She could tell that he was purposely isolating her but couldn't really find it in herself to care. Despite herself, she had become accustomed to his continued presence to the point where she sometimes found herself taking the initiative to seek him out. Not to mention he had, technically, saved her life before on multiple occasions... even if all he did was shove some cake icing under her tongue and get medical help. And then of course him being the one to track her down when she ran away and got lost in Sapporo, Hokkaidō. All by himself. At the age of nine.

He was persistent, if nothing else.

By that point, both Tsuna and Kyōya — _if his self-satisfied smirk was any indicator_ — knew that there really wasn't any going back, that they were stuck together. Tsuna having finally been worn down to 'just accepting it already'.

Of course, that wasn't to say that Tsuna couldn't be just as vindictive if she wanted, taking this friendship as the go-ahead to irritate him as much as she could get away with. It was astounding the amount that he would put up with now, over several years' worth of tolerance of her antics having been built up. She could hang on his arm and gush a little bit and he wouldn't bat an eye as long as there weren't any witnesses. He had an image to uphold as he was oh-so-quick to remind her with a warning whack to the head if she 'forgot herself'.

Tsuna never claimed that their friendship was in any way healthy, but sometimes, surviving another brush with death was good for her. Sometimes, it didn't pay to be so jaded that she would descend straight into apathy; it made things more troublesome and painful than it was worth. Because, to Kyōya, an apathetic Tsuna was a boring Tsuna, and he only really tolerated her because she kept things interesting. If she needed a little prodding in the right direction, well, no one could claim that he took half-measures.

Fluttering her eyelashes at him coyly, she teased, "Did Kyōya- _kun_ wanna walk me to practice? How nice of him!"

His pinched expression deepened. "Rabbit…" He warned lowly with a snarl. "I will only tolerate a total of three of your idiocies a day. This will be your second pass, so I would select my next few words wisely if I were you."

" _Hieee_..." Tsuna wheezed with an anxious giggle. "Kyōya-san's scary when he wants to be." She dropped the faux-airheaded expression she had been adopting to gain a nervous one. "Eh, heh, heh… Just meant to say I was s'prised you joined up with me this early, usually I don't see you 'til later. Rotation in patrol?"

He huffed, the corner of his mouth twitching, but not in amusement. "Of a kind… I caught wind of a competitor." Uncontrollably, he smiled, a feral nuance coating every edge of it. Tsuna shivered and took a step to the side. Without further prompting, he covered it with the back of his hand, but his grey eyes were still glinting in a malicious, hungry light. Kyōya likely wouldn't be in class today, too worked up to tolerate the banalities of a class-ethic. The nurse would be busier than usual with him actively searching for violators in a bid to keep the bloodlust at bay instead of his more 'passive' patrols around the school. Especially if his range was this far away from the middle school, now extending nearly three kilometers.

Likely he would be kidnapping her after practice to force her to join in on the search for the trespassing 'carnivore'. Tsuna idly wondered if she could use up her last free 'pass' to make sure he didn't kill the poor soul. Probably not. Kyōya would likely demand that she fight against him or something, and she really didn't want to spend an unfair amount of time in the nurses office again. Sure, she could punch his lights out if she got close enough, but she had to get past his _tonfas_ first, and therein lied the problem. She doubt he'd fall for the same ricochet-off-the-wall-volleyball attack again… Maybe she should sit this one out. Clearly, if the person was strong enough to rile dear Kyōya up this much, they had to be just about as unhuman as he was, right?

Right?!

A whack on the back of her head forcibly brought Tsuna out of her frenzied state of internal panic, only for her to start fretting again when she heard a low growl being emitted next to her on her right. "Pass number three, herbivore. Do _not_ make me bite you to death."

 _Oh, it's even worse than I thought_ , Tsuna despaired. _His temper is completely frayed at the edges. The last time he got this excited was when two different yakuza gangs and their turf-war drew too much attention to themselves._ Somehow, Tsuna got the sinking feeling she was going to end up fighting at some point today anyway. Joy.

When she sensed Kyōya's patience with her about to reach its end, she hurried to placate him, "Maa, maa, Kyōya-san, I'm sure that won't be needed! L-Let's get goin', 'kay?" Nervously taking his hand in hers, she carefully tugged him away towards the direction of the school with jittery promises of willing patrol with him — _i.e. an excused ditching of class_ — if he would take a look at the new quick-attack she was developing. With the sizable distraction that the moody and bloodthirsty teen presented, it was no wonder that she didn't notice the large and cow-like pair of eyes watching the both of them interest. Tsuna's hyper-intuition was currently doing all it could to keep Kyōya's bad mood out of the homicidal range of the spectrum and keep him from biting her teammates to death when they reached the gym.

Kyōya didn't suffer fools gladly.

* * *

Tsuna was currently screaming internally, while outwardly the only thing that gave away her alarm was the creepily frozen smile and her nervous sweat. Kyōya and her volleyball team did not mix well together. At all. Something about them set him on edge, hackles raised and ready to snap, but not because he was feeling threatened, rather, their attitudes and personalities seemed into insult him in some way or another.

What way, exactly, Tsuna couldn't tell, but she had been subjected to his presence long enough to immediately be able to distinguish his changes in mood, especially if they took a turn for the worst. A lot of that ability had stemmed from her self-preservation instincts kicking in to ensure her continued survival, so it was a skill that she 'learned' both quick and well. She was also quite good at distracting him from his sources of ire. It was just unfortunate that this had happened to originally _be_ the distraction and that she had already used up her third 'pass' for the day.

Really, there was very little that poor Tsunaoko Sawada could actually do besides attempt to ignore the stifling tension in the air and try to keep Kyōya's attention sufficiently occupied. Something that was proving to be harder to do by the second, with her senpais — _who were also Kyōya's peers_ — attempting to intimidate her friend now that such a confrontation was taking place on 'their' turf. Utterly failing at this, of course.

Meanwhile, Tsuna's peers and the second-years quivered uncontrollably as they were caught in the crossfire of the third-years' posturing. Shimitsu and Kowari, the only other girls on the volleyball team, weren't much better off, trembling as they helped the blonde.

The teen may have been a better setter, her official position, than a spiker, but something about making a good hit and sending the ball hurtling over to the other side of the net was satisfying in a way that couldn't be named or described with words. For several weeks now, Tsuna had been diligently practicing on that singular move that she told Kyōya about, and it was now, when she was positive that her hitting percentage was higher than fifty-fifty, that she felt confident enough to show-off to him. Her only problem with it was that it took a bit of flexibility and, unfortunately, _time_ for it to work. Not to mention, without the practice and muscle memory, it would be extremely impractical to use in a match.

If it ever made a successful debut on the court, that is.

When she made her jump, instead of using her right hand like she had been doing, she would use her left to redirect the ball around the blockers rather than straight at them. She wouldn't be able to use it often, obviously, since the other side would eventually grow to expect and guard against that feint the more it was used; so it would have to be done sparingly. Not to mention, it had to be preplanned beforehand by a signal or code word of some sort, since the ball had to be tossed a bit slower for Tsuna make the hit.

The fact that she could spike with both hands would hopefully off-balance the other players for just long enough to use the feint effectively in the time she needed to set it up. It also helped that as far as anyone knew, she was right-handed. Which she was, in this life. In the Before, her left hand had been her dominant hand, but now, using her right hand felt more natural to her. But some habits were just too hard to stop.

When she was younger, there were times when she'd use her left hand when it would have been easier for her right. It was something that Tsuna had long since noticed and — _after initial exasperation_ — decided to nurture until she was somewhat ambidextrous, her right hand still being a little more favored than her left. But forcing herself to only write and eat with her left hand was certainly helping to bridge the gap. Even if being ambidextrous wasn't really a talent one could actively brag about having anyway.

Of course, with her and the other two girls being bench warmers, the likelihood of her being able to use her 'southpaw surprise' or her feint in game was near-nonexistent anyway. The only reason why she hadn't started a girls' volleyball team herself was because three members weren't enough… And none of the teachers wanted to be an advisor for a club No-Good Tsuna was president of, anyway. So, even though the suggestion had been made half-jokingly, she had joined the only volleyball team, which was technically the boys' team in all but name. She wasn't a manager, but she wasn't truly a player either. It was frustrating. But until she recruited enough interested parties and found someone else to take up the mantel in being the figurehead for the club that the teachers would accept, she would tolerate this. She would last. Tsuna was still a first-year after all.

And hopefully, with Shimitsu and Kowari being second-years, one of them would being willing to take up the mantel of being 'captain' and perhaps help recruit more members.

"Tsunaguro, pay attention," Kowari scolded, using the other dreaded nicknamed that Tsuna was known by in school.

Despite her normally lackluster motivation in doing schoolwork, English was something that was quite hard for Tsuna to fail at, as she had once lived in a predominantly English-speaking country. Therefore, even without her trying and being a little rusty from disuse, she was in the second-year English class, which was where she earned the loathed nickname. It had to do with her on the verge of dosing off in class, the teacher mentioning something about tuna, and Tsuna snapping upright with an exclamation of "I'm awake!". So it was only natural that they would mix the Japanese word for that fish with the English word that sounded so similar to her name, thinking themselves extremely clever for it… And it only made sense that her second-year peers (the first-years were too intimidated to call her that directly to her face) would be quick to hear about it and latch onto it with great enthusiasm. They weren't very creative.

Currently, Tsunaoko huffed but ultimately ignored the loathed moniker in favor of dipping her hips lower as her knees bent — _but didn't lock_ — into position, ready to burst into action.

Letting out a muted grunt, the Kowari tossed the ball, giving it a smooth arc as it soared over to the setter's position, the Tsuna's eyes tracking the ball's journey the whole while. As it began to descend towards Shimitsu's waiting and capable hands, Tsuna shot forward. A fierce expression of single-minded concentration overshadowing her typically bored or sleepy one as she roared, " _Orrraaaaaaaaa!_ "

It lasted only a little longer than a second before it was over as soon as it started, the ball slamming harshly against the floor before bouncing away towards the sidelines. Landing only a little unsteadily, Tsuna cheered, her eyes misty, "Yeah! Didja see, Kyōya-san? Eh? Eh? Didja?" Bounding over to her grumpy-looking friend, she rocked back onto the heels of her feet before leaning back forward on her tippy-toes, her expression like that of an eager puppy seeking praise for performing a new trick. Rubbing her eyes quickly with the back of her hand to remove the happy tears that had been forming, she demanded, "What d'you think?"

Kyōya eyed her with only a small trace of annoyance at her antics. A large part of him was pleased at her little volleyball routine, more so at her rather aggressive display than the actual act of hitting the ball, which did a rather good job at show-casing how sneaky the Little Rabbit could be. Tricking her opponent to think that she would be going for a straightforward attack by the classic mid-air pose, only to suddenly use of her other hand without any warning. Striking the ball to the side between the net and the blockers at a sharp angle, stealing a point without any remorse.

A shiver went up his spine from the memory of the split-second view of the expression on her face, but it wasn't out of fear. No, it was anticipation, he wanted to fight her.

It had been too long since the last time, as Little Rabbit had continually redirected his attention or managed to wiggle out of it at the last moment as of late. And with her so wantonly displaying her capable skills… Well… One could hardly blame him for wanting to have that aggression aimed his direction so that he could freely respond in kind without restraint. Being forced to hold back all the time with the regular fare was at time more stressful than it was helpful. She was the only herbivore who would fight back against him when cornered and did so effectively.

Effectively enough to be able to occasionally turn the tables and become a carnivore herself.

Or, rather, she had always been one, just reluctant to bare her fangs and tended to give the impression of being just another mindless sheep, albeit a rather lackadaisical one. However, a predator can't hide so easily among the prey. The teachers and students Namimori Middle were discovering, just as the rest had found out in Namimori Primary, that Tsuna wasn't like them and shouldn't be treated as such. Of course, any herbivore that was too stupid to see Little Rabbit for what she truly was, tried to be 'friends' with her, he was quick to educate with brutal efficiency. She didn't need to associate with them, it would only confuse her more.

It was bad enough that a _herbivore_ was responsible for raising a _carnivore_ , after all. He may respect Nana Sawada, but it was hard to teach what you didn't understand. Not to mention, Iemitsu was hardly prime carnivore material, considering how much of his idiotic tendencies (such as being easily moved to tears) and melodramatic persona infected what used to be a reticent and indifferent person. Although, a small part of Kyōya warned him that just like Little Rabbit, Iemitsu, too, was a master of misdirection and not to be dismissed so readily. Kyōya already made that mistake once before with her back when they had first met.

So, it fell to him, as the only respectable carnivore around, to teach her how to be a proper predator. Even if it meant he had to bite her to death for his lessons to sink in. So, seeing as Little Rabbit was asking for an evaluation…

"I saw," he assured her before a smirk crossed his face, eyes narrowing slyly. "And I think it's time I tested you again, Sawada." Little Rabbit's face vaulted, and she flailed a bit, a distressed 'hieee' escaping her lips. Nothing good came from him using her actual name, just Danger with a capital 'D'. "After you finish practicing with these… _herbivores_ , I expect to find you in the temporary club room." Some of the third-years from a class that wasn't his bristled at the disdain in his voice when he referred to them, but they wisely said nothing, stewing silently in indignation. Sending them a challenging smirk in hopes to provoke them to rising to the bait, Kyōya took his time exiting the gym. He wasn't disappointed when his wordless taunt seemed to be pushing them too far. It kept him both occupied until Little Rabbit's evaluation and helped decrease the amount of time that her practice lasted, which was only as long as the volleyball captain and the other third-years were around to supervise. Additionally, it helped him to release the pent-up frustration of being unable to locate the competitor he had sniffed out.

But only slightly.

* * *

 **Reflective Sky 01: Fin.**

* * *

 **Volleyball terms:**

 **Quick - A player approaching the setter for a fast hit close to the net (which would be an inside hit, as it is inside of the attack line).**

 **Attack - The offensive action of hitting the ball. The attempt by one team to terminate the play by hitting the ball to the floor on the opponent's side.**

 **(ergo, a quick-attack is a player approaching the settler for a fast inside hit the hopes to score a point)**

 **Hitting Percentage - Kills v.s. attempts.**

* * *

 **Regular Vocab used:**

 **"Hieee" - An onomatopoeic word for Tsunayoshi's unique cry. This seems to be in common consensus with the fandom.**

 **Sutēki is suteki - [Lit. Steak is beautiful] Expect for this story to be rife in puns and plays on words.**

 **Kobudō - [Form. Okinawan kobudō] refers to the weapon systems of Okinawan martial arts. These 'systems' can have as many as one to a dozen weapons in their curriculum. Some of the weapons used are the bō (six-foot staff), sai, tonfa, kama (sickle), nunchaku, tekko (basically brassknuckles made out of steel, so steelknuckles), tinbe-rochin (shield and spear), surujin (weighted chain), tambo (short stick), hanbō (middle length staff), and the eku (boat oar...). Kyōya is trained in all of the above, but prefers the tonfas best, followed by the nunchaku, surujin, hanbō, and the eku. As you can guess, he is a mid-ranged fighter. Tsuna prefers the tekko.**

 **Maa, Maa - Informal phrase meaning "calm down" or "there, there." It is also used to refer to something that is "same as usual."**

 **Tsunaguro - an oh-so-clever use of 'Tsuna' and 'maguro', both of which mean tuna. (Tsuna being the Japanese pronunciation of the word 'Tuna' since they don't have a 'tu' noise, while 'maguro' is the actual name for the fish).**

 **Ora - A war cry that's yelled as you attack.**

 **Southpaw - A** **lefty or the left hand itself. Primarily used in baseball, but appears in other contexts as well, such as boxing where I originally came across it.**

* * *

 **A/N: And thus ends the Pilot.**

 **This fan fiction is heavily influenced by 'Dragonfly by** _Kettobase_ **', 'Haikyū! by** _Haruichi Furudate_ **', and 'Russian Roulette by** _Vixen Tail_ **'. Speaking of which...**

 _VIXEN TAIL_ **! IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT THAT I'M IN THIS FANDOM! I WANT MY MUSE BACK! I SHAKE MY FIST AT YOU!**

 **...**

 **If you people find the time, go bother her by spamming her story with reviews. It's the perfect revenge.**

 **Also, go see** _chinchilla donut_ **'s fan fiction and review it as well. I'm sure it would be appreciated.**

 **(EDIT 12-16-2016: Simplified everything and added some background information.)**

 **(EDIT 5-8-2017: Added more details)**


	2. Point of Origin

_Called to me far away, a girl much younger than the "me" of today._  
 _Dream it almost every night, and when I wake, still can't get away._

 _[...] If you ever find forgiveness for a girl like me,_  
 _Could I see your face just one last time? I beg you, please!_  
 _If I shine the brightest and become their northern star,_  
 _Would you finally see me here or is it too hard?_

-Yonjūnana (Jubyphonic translation), Mikito-P (2012).

* * *

 **Albedo Caelum 02: Terminus A Quo**

* * *

Tsuna was only able to stall long enough to do part of a half match of three-on-three with the remaining members of the team, help put away the equipment, and take out one of the many pre-written slips that she had badgered Kyōya to make for her at her own risk for so that her absences were 'excused'. She didn't bother cooling down, knowing that it would be best to remain warmed up for the inevitable fight between herself and the Skylark. She also didn't bother to help her senpais to the nurse's office, as she had a feeling that she was the last person they would want help from next to Kyōya himself. Unfortunately, she didn't have any more time to ward off the looming 'evaluation'; AKA, Kyōya trying to kill her while Tsuna attempted to _not_ be killed.

She also didn't bother to change out of her jersey sweats, because the long skirt that made up her modified uniform would only hamper her movements. One simply didn't _handicap_ themselves against _Kyōya Hibari_. It just wasn't done. Not to mention, it would ruin a perfectly good uniform.

The 'club room' was just a code word for the roof, as Kyōya had only just finished reforming and re-recruiting the entirety of the Disciplinary Committee as well as finished putting them through the grueling training regimen meant to mould them into something vaguely acceptable to the Hibari's high standards. After taking over the old Disciplinary Committee and reworking it from the ground up to suit his needs, it was only now that he had the time to set his eyes on the coveted reception room for the Committee's headquarters. The old clubroom that had been set aside for it not being good enough for him, in that it was too crowded for his tastes with around four to five members in it at any given time. He was planning on having the two rooms being set aside: the old club room for what will basically amount to the break room where the Committee members could crowd to their hearts' content, while the reception room will be something like an office for the chairman and the... whatever Tsuna's official title was. The meeting of the Student Council taking place later today was when he planned on making his intentions known — _which, as Kyōya's right-hand man and unofficial handler, Tsuna's presence was obviously required_.

However, even if they _did_ have another club room to serve as an office, they would have still had to use the roof, as it was the only place where they wouldn't have to worry about interfering teachers or wrecking the surrounding furniture. Plus, it provide enough space that when Tsuna was sent flying — _as it was only a matter of time before she would sent hurtling through the air_ — she wouldn't be crashing through a door or a wall... Unfortunately, as she was on the roof, that still didn't account for being several floors above the ground or the classrooms whose ceiling that the two teens were fighting above.

Speaking of fighting, Kyōya was never one for niceties when it came to violence, or 'discipline' as he called it, of any sort. He wasn't going to wait politely for you to prepare yourself for the oncoming beat down, he was just going to 'bite' you as you were, ready or not. Whether you were in top condition or not. This included any 'evaluations' or 'lessons' that he instigated with Tsuna.

The moment the blonde opened the door to the roof, she was forced to drop her bag, dive below the oncoming blow to the ground, and roll away from the rocketing tonfa that had been aimed at her face. Tsuna was extremely grateful that she left her knee and elbow pads on, right then. Skinning those particular joints would not have pleasant in the least. Too bad that she didn't also have the foresight to bring a volleyball with her. If she had, it would have made a great distraction to momentarily divert Kyōya's attention for a split-second, if nothing else. She only needed that tiny instant to create an opening for herself through that ever-shifting and flowing defensive-offense of his.

Somersaulting — _i.e. rolling ass over teakettle_ — away from the secondary tonfa, Tsuna scrambled to her feet and brought up her arms in a sloppy guard to protect her face as she pointedly kept her distance. This was done in the hopes to either wear Kyōya out or make him grow impatient enough to make his movements more hasty and provide even the tiniest of openings for her. She just needed one, not matter how small, and she would be on him like white on rice, forcing his defense open like how one would crack open a crab's armor. Tsuna wouldn't give him any room to use his tonfas in such a close proximity and would just take any hits that she was given in order to land that one good hit in return.

Of course, Kyōya knew all of her tricks and preferred style of fighting, so he knew what she was attempting to do. He also knew that unless she saw what she believed to be an opportunity, his Little Rabbit would purely be on defense and would continuously retreat, the exact opposite of what he wanted. So, he decided to turn the tables on her, create an opening to lure her in before snapping the trap shut. He would have to do this precisely or she would tip this stalemate into her favor, lowering his chances at winning this fight.

But he was counting on that. Kyōya wanted to see his Little Rabbit bare her teeth in defiance at him again.

So he darted forward, twirling the tonfa in his right hand as he swung it out to the side while the tonfa in his left hand moved to guard his middle. Bringing the right about level to his shoulder and the left level with his chest as they both clicked into place, the longer end of the tonfa facing outwards, he then slashed the right one down in a diagonal motion, purposely leaving his left side the slightest bit vulnerable while the longer end of the left tonfa protected his right side. Although, all it would take for him to protect said vulnerable side, should he feel the need to do so, would be to bring his left elbow back and counter-twirl the left tonfa. But, of course, that would defeat the purpose of leaving a baited opening.

And like Kyōya anticipated, Tsuna noticed the slim opening in his otherwise tight-knit defense and took — _what she perceived to be_ — full advantage of it. Darting forward and leading with her right hand, she made to hit him in the side with an upset punch to wind him. Instead, Kyōya mercilessly struck her with a solid side kick, delivering a strong enough blow to her gut that Tsuna was sent flying nearly two meters before landing hard on the ground and rolling with left over momentum. After coming to a halt on her side, she clutched her stomach as uncontrollable tears sprung into her eyes, feeling as if she had a knife stabbed in her abdomen and as if she were about throw up. It was all she could do to keep from curling up on the ground and just accepting the inevitable beat down, but her mortally wounded pride — _as tiny and shriveled as it was_ — wouldn't let her. " _Hieee_..." came a muffled and pained shriek, so weak it sound more like a squeaky wheeze.

Tsuna only just managed to roll out of the way from the tonfa that had been gunning for her prone form with an unforgiving blow. She lurched to her feet, her need to fight back just long enough to survive this 'evaluation' helping to distract her from the pain, which had dulled to a barely tolerable throbbing instead of the stabbing from before.

Dashing away with a stumble from the prefect who was close behind in hot pursuit, she shrieked some unintelligible battle cry before reaching out an arm and grabbing ahold of the Namimori Middle flag pole to use as a support. Pushing off of the ground, the teen gripped it with her other hand as well, while her momentum sent Tsuna swinging back around. Her tiny feet planted right into a surprised Kyōya's vulnerable face as she let go of the flag pole, returning the favor by sending him — _and consequently, herself_ — hurtling back about a meter before he fell to the ground with the blonde tumbling off of him a coming to a stop a short distance away.

Utterly shocked that she actually managed to hit him and that he hadn't protected his face with one or both of his tonfas — _and thus turning her intended tackle into this horror show_ — the girl whipped back upright with a sense of rising alarm as her only friend began to clutch at his face. "Oh, God, Kyōya!" She screeched, forgetting all formalities in lieu of her alarm, beginning to clutch and yank at her hair in distress. "Oh my God, I'm so sorry! I thought you're gonna block that so I could tackle you! I was just so determined to pass that I..." Tsuna trailed off with utter dread as Kyōya let go of his face and turned to face her. "Oh God," she whimpered, an overwhelming sense of doomed trepidation suffocating her slowly.

He was heavily bleeding from his likely broken nose, the red liquid being slightly smeared on his cheek and hands from when he clutched at his face earlier. He was giving her _That Look_ , the one that howled for blood after finally catching sight of worthy prey, the ridiculously overly-gleeful one that was accented with one of _Those Smiles_ that absolute screamed to the high heavens **TSUNAOKO SAWADA YOU ARE ABOUT TO BE BITTEN TO DEATH**. He, then, reached up and rebroke his nose to set it into its original position with a grunt, swiping away the blood with a hand before looking at it. _That Smile_ widened and his pupils constricted to little pin prinks, zeroing in on the blood on his hand. Tsuna felt the nausea from before return with a vengeance.

"Wao," said Kyōya.

"Hieeek," squeaked Tsuna.

From there, everything went downhill for the poor girl. While it hadn't been her goal, she had finally broke any semblance of restraint the prefect had concerning reining in his ferocity. In fact, she was quite certain that even if the original competitor appeared right there, exactly at that moment, said competitor would have been ignored entirely. For better or for worse, Tsuna had Kyōya's attention completely fixated on her. She was pretty sure it was for worse, though, and was entirely willing to throw that competitor under the bus if it meant that her friend's single-minded concentration be focused on someone other than herself. His tonfas really hurt.

She didn't go down without a fight, though. Submitting to him mid-fight was worse than handicapping yourself against him and was just asking for a biting — _something that wasn't entirely metaphorical, either; there had been times when Kyōya regressed back when it had just been him and his sharp little teeth against the world._ Tsuna had managed, at one point, to steal one of his tonfas from him but had still been vastly overwhelmed in terms of skill. The stunt did earn her an 'acceptable' comment from Kyōya the moment he had disarmed her, in less time than it took for her to do the same no less, and had skipping-side-kicked her in the throat, leaving her winded and entirely vulnerable.

By the time she managed to gather her scattered wits, Kyōya had retrieved her bag from its forgotten position by the door and was digging through it for the first aid kit buried inside it somewhere. Wearily, Tsuna sat up and waited for him to realize that it was kept in a side pocket instead of the main one. She didn't bother helping, half out of petty revenge and the other because she knew that the most help he would tolerate from her at the moment would be taping his broken nose. She had always found this particular activity vaguely humorous; the both of them trying to inflict as much damage as possible on the other before they both tended to each other's injuries, like some sort of messed up grooming-bonding ritual or whatever, if she were to continue with Kyōya's crazy life metaphor.

Taking out the tiny bottle of antiseptic, Tsuna poured a small amount on some gauze and carefully dabbed at his nose in an attempt to clean up the blood, without disrupting the nose and causing her friend additional pain, before gently inserting dry pieces of gauze into each nostril. As it had already been set back into its proper position by Kyōya earlier, Tsuna then took out the medical tape and pulled out a seven centimeter long strip which Tsuna taped under the nose close to the tip of each side of the nostrils and secured it before she pinched the center of the tape to add a little pressure, ensuring that the nose was properly supported before she took one final strip and placed it tightly across the bridge of the nose to keep it from shifting.

While some people were of the opinion that going to see a nurse or a doctor was always a necessity when dealing with a broken nose, the blonde knew from experience in her life in the Before that a steady and calm hand was usually the only thing that was truly needed. Having the friends that she did back then would sometimes lead to sticky situations, which — _in turn_ — would occasionally lead to broken noses, especially considering the hobby she had, had once upon a time. At least said hobby had somewhat come in handy this go around, maybe it would even work a second time if she was sly about how she utilized her talents in pole dancing.

Meanwhile, Kyōya was entirely efficient in cleaning the small cut on her face by her left cheekbone from where his tonfa had broke through the skin, taking extra care in applying the salve, before tending to her split lip by dabbing some disinfectant on it. The blonde had to bite back a small smile from the intense look of concentration on Kyōya's face as he meticulously took his time in place a bandage on the cut. She pretended it was a wince. He pretended not to notice.

In all appearances, the boy had gotten the worst end of the stick with his broken nose, but Tsuna's gut and back were definitely bruised and, in all likelihood, so would her throat, leaving her with the most overall damage. By this point, all of her guilt in breaking his pretty-boy face had evaporated. It was only fair.

After she finished applying the wrap to his wrist — _which she had wrenched when she forcibly took the tonfa from it_ — with him watching her contently the whole while, Tsuna wasted no time in bringing out the bentos. Nothing like fighting for your life to make a girl hungry and, on a side note, Kyōya's grimace from her little pun was even more comical than she expected with the white taping on the middle of his face. Plus, she had shrimp to go with her soba and he had hamburger steak to go with his rice and pickled vegetables. The only words that had been exchanged between them as they ate was Tsuna asking if Kyōya wanted to come over to her place for dinner. He considered the invitation for a moment before nodding, deciding that he could indulge Tsuna's whims this time, considering she had put up a good fight. The blonde exhaled in quiet relief before texting an answer for her mom. Nana would be overjoyed.

All was right with the world as Kyōya took a nap while Tsuna finished some final paperwork needed for the requisition of the reception room as well as an extra club room for the rest of the Committee. She never minded doing paperwork even though she was so dismal at homework, but that was merely because said paperwork aligned with her interests more than five paragraph short-essays on the Heian era. History was history, why should she bother with that when her duties as a weird combination of the Disciplinary Committee's treasurer/secretary/editor were so much more current and relevant to her life? There was no doubt in her mind that wherever Kyōya did with himself before succeeding his father and becoming the oyabun to all the yakuza who belonged to the Tettsui-ikka in Namimori and surrounding towns, she would probably be dragged along with him... Actually, she would likely be eventually pulled into the underworld to work for him one way or another — _and she already had been in a sense_ — probably with some administrative role; therefore, paperwork was more interesting and important than homework.

Plus, with her backing as a store manager, one upon a time, this was a cakewalk. She didn't even have to do the recruiting beyond maintaining a somewhat socially-acceptable PR and taking in the applications — _few and far between though they were_ — and giving the acceptable ones to either Kyōya or Tetsuya, the heir's other hand and the vice-chairman of the committee, to overview again. Something that had given her so many headaches when working at Sears, a company that was slowly dying anyway. Tsuna regretted that she hadn't gotten out of there and accepted that partnership with the Indie game designer before her death. She had, had such grand ideas concerning the horror game genre. Maybe if she ever found the time, she could work on that on the side as a hobby between tournaments. Her dream of playing volleyball professionally came first, after all.

Although, she still hadn't figured out how she was going to break the news to Kyōya. He hadn't accepted or realized the sport as active competition for her attention, that one day their paths may diverge in what they did in life. He seemed to see volleyball as a characteristic about her, like her blithe and generally complacent personality. It was just something that was a part of Tsuna and had be a constant thing with the blonde since the day they first met. It _had_ been a volleyball that had started this whole dysfunctional relationship, after all. Maybe she could find a way to juggle her two happiness's in life? Long-distance work with him? As long as the paperwork got done, maybe she could do it after training and playing? This struck her as a terribly naïve and impractical thought. Likely, she would have to choose between one or the other. Joy.

...

She would worry about that later, Tsuna didn't need any more stress today. That 'evaluation' of hers had more than filled the quota that she set aside daily. Not to mention, badgering the vice principal to sign this would be a headache of its own merit. Even though the both of them knew that it was easier for the blonde to come to her for club transactions rather than Kyōya and harder than just letting the actual principal sign, the stubborn adult would make it as painstaking of a process as possible. Then, of course, only to cave just when Tsuna was about to reach the end of her patience and have the prefect deal with the old lady. The biased nonsense driving her up the walls.

At this point, filling in the forms was relaxing compared to what she would have to deal with after she took a quick shower in the girl's locker room and changed into her uniform. Though it wouldn't change much, there was still the slim possibility that the old lady might ease up if respect for the school was presented in any manner. But Tsuna strongly doubted it. Any positive thing she did was quickly discounted and forgotten in lieu of her shortcomings. Everyone wanted a scapegoat, especially with Kyōya being a force to be reckoned with as well as nigh impossible to reprimand to any great affect.

God, Tsuna can see her face now, that judgmental look of disapproval with the pursed lips and all. Frustrating, utterly frustrating, but she couldn't bring herself to do anything about it other than just tolerate it, especially since nothing would change at all, no matter how much energy Tsuna poured into the effort. People could be surprisingly stubborn against changing their first impressions and blind to see what they didn't want to see. Man, that old lady didn't know anything. If Tsuna had a motivated bone in her body on something other than the Disciplinary Committee or volleyball, the vice principal's downfall would be swift and merciless. Don't think that Tsuna had been oblivious to Takeuchi-kyoto and Dōhachiro-sensei's relationship with each other as well as all that bypassing and blatant ignoring of school regulations with discreetly done embezzlement by cutting club funds on top of it all...

 _"Oh, would you look at that, someone had misfiled these papers and placed them in the Disciplinary Committee's mail box. Oops."_ She would say, affecting her voice to a simpering falsetto. _"Eh? What's this?! How scandalous and illegal! What, Kyōya-san? Oh, yes, I just saw him heading towards the vice principle's office, said something about 'biting dishonest sōshokukei to death', whatever_ that _means, tee hee."_

...Well, it was nice to daydream, anyway. Nobody ever saw just what lengths that she would be willing to go through if someone provoked her enough by threatening her and hers, and one Takeuchi-Kyoto was dangerously toeing the line. Maybe she could sneak past that secretary that always directed her to the accursed vice principal and slip into the principal's office. It would cut down on about twenty minutes which would usually be wasted on annoying posturing as well as unnecessary hemming and hawing. Not to mention, just might spare the old lady from having some dirty laundry aired. With the principal, Tsuna knew for certain that all she would have to do was ask and the paperwork would be filed within the next few hours, rather than delayed until the next day like Takeuchi-Kyoto continuously pulled until Kyōya's name was finally brought up as a threat.

Sometimes, it was almost scary just how much sway the name 'Hibari' had over the town. Between Kyōya's parents and his own reputation, there was very little he _couldn't_ get away with, one foot already through the door that lead to the underworld and being groomed to take his father's place one day. Namimori Middle — _and the town in general, actually_ — was merely his own little sandbox to practice in… Tsuna supposed this made her a prime target of anyone hoping for leverage against the Hibaris, but if a problem hadn't arose in the nine years she had associated with the heir, she wouldn't bother worrying about it now. Besides, she was far, far too deep to simply back out now, the idea was ridiculous with Kyōya having such an active interest in her and with Tsuna already so invested.

After all, once you help someone hide a body or two, you're sort of bound together for life.

Plus, the hospital benefits she got by being his friend were invaluable with the amount of times she found herself there for one reason or another, so much so that nearly everyone in the ER knew her name... again. _The wonders of money and reputation, this would have been used in the Before,_ she mused privately with a snort. _Although, I would never have dreamed of doing anything like this back then, either. Now it doesn't matter me what I do as along as things continue as they are. I hate change, probably won't survive if it happens again like Before..._

With a final flourish in neat calligraphy, Tsuna wrote down the final character required before briefly closing her eyes with an exhale. She can already feel the preemptive headache taking form from even considering an encounter with the vice principal. Opening her eyes to reveal amber irises, she eyed the napping Kyōya out of the corner of her eye with no small amount of fondness. _The things she would do for that boy_...

* * *

 _Well, in some ways, the student council meeting went better than expected,_ Tsuna mused to herself grimly. _If only the Tree Planting Committee listened and didn't bring that third member. With Kyōya, two is pushing it, and only because I taught him that saying 'two is company and three is a crowd'… What a headache._

What was even worse was that she had just barely managed to avoid developing one earlier with the help of a committee member being just the distraction she needed to slip past the secretary undetected. All it had cost her was a favor, which was nearly always used on a Hibari-intervention, where she would spare them a bitten by redirecting Kyōya's wrath on to something else. It wasn't a flat out guarantee that she could do it, which the blonde made sure was completely understood, but there was a high enough success rate that it was a chance worth taking. Vaguely, Tsuna was annoyed that she was being treated as if she was his handler and not, say, his best friend, but in some ways, the words 'handler' and 'friend' meant one and the same.

Hadn't that been what a foster-sister did for her, once upon a time in another life? Ensured that Tsuna stayed out of trouble and didn't hurt herself — _or others_?

Either way, her senpai from the Committee had been kind enough to offer a distraction by requesting the list of expenses due for damage control — _because someone had to pay for all the dented walls, broken doors, and shattered windows made by one Kyōya Hibari and his lethal tonfas_ — in her stead, both being and pretending to be a messenger boy for her. He also made sure to make a large commotion about it needing to be given immediately and dogging the secretary's steps over to the filing cabinets, conveniently blocking Tsuna from view. Exchanging a thumbs up with her partner-in-crime, while trying to keep her eyes from misting at touching display of camaraderie between her the committee member, the blonde slunk into the office and shut the door firmly. Because, of course, unlike the rest of the staff sharing one large teacher's wing with each room holding the teachers from a different subject, the principal and vice principal get their own little rooms in the main office. It just made things easier for Tsuna to slink around.

The principal, an elderly man in his late sixties and on the verge of retirement, was one of those types of people who folded easily, simply because he didn't have half the energy or desire to care as much as he once had ten to twenty years ago. He often delegated tasks to the vice principal, letting her deal with matters that didn't require him to oversee. Usually, the most a student would see of him was at the Monday assembly. No one honestly took him seriously anymore, nor did they really fear the vice principal either, despite her stringent nature. As far as the student populace was concerned, Hibari was law. The principal seemed to realize this too and did nothing about it, preferring to keep a hands-off approach since this was the lowest delinquency rate Namimori Middle had in over a decade — _as long as one were to overlook the Disciplinary Committee's methods at maintaining order, that is_.

So, he only looked up and sighed when he saw Tsuna, taking notice of the red armband with gold kanji that blatantly declared her as affiliated with said Committee. It only took two minutes to explain what she was here for and for him to check through the form before quietly signing it. He handed it back with the instructions to give to the secretary so that it could be properly filed on the system. She then bowed, said her thanks, and left to do just that with a small spring in her step.

Then it was just patrolling the halls and filling out information on the payment form for Kyōya concerning the damages the Committee had been responsible for. All he would have to do is sign and check over the banking info to ensure that, yes, it was made out to Namimori Middle from the account that he — _well, the school technically, but Kyōya had actually put in some money of his own since the school would only pay for so much_ — had set aside for the Committee. Just killing time until after school when, assuming everything went smoothly, she would get the cooperation of a few committee members to help the blonde with rearranging the reception room into something clean and orderly.

 _If only it just went smoothly for once_ , Tsuna thought ruefully to herself. _Just this once._ But, no, the moment the room assignments were passed out for the fall trimester committees, the Tree Planting Committee took it as their chance to face against Kyōya, trying to get others to side with them. She didn't really blame them either; normally, people tended to feel safety in numbers. If a group of people had reservations against something but were too afraid or unsure to act on it, usually it would only take a person or two to break the dam and with three, the chances were even higher. Unfortunately for the committee, this situation was anything but 'normal' or 'usual', Kyōya didn't get this much control over Namimori by being what one would expect in an everyday person. Which was why none of the other committee representatives stepped in to do anything, silent and looking anywhere but at Kyōya, Tsuna, and the revolution hopefuls.

History may not have been the blonde's strong point, in this life nor the last one, but she was currently reminded of the early beings of the French Revolution: how there may had been representatives for the common folk, but their votes counted less than the nobles and the upper-class, and above them was the king whose decision was law. In this case, Kyōya was king and the rest of the students, including Tsuna, were peasants under his tyranny, leaving the staff members as the nobles who also bowed to his authority. Not that he was needlessly cruel or unfair, in her opinion, as long as you followed the rules in the Namimori Middle handbook — _the prefect's personal Bible, in a manner of speaking_ — and didn't provoke him, he would leave well enough alone. Of course, that might just be because she had been indoctrinated into Kyōya's metaphorical regime and extensively conditioned over the course of nearly a decade. Not that Tsuna cared that she had basically been trained like a cat with a squirt bottle, if one replaced the squirt bottle with a tonfa and herself with the cat, becoming his underling had given her a sense of purpose and later becoming his friend gave her life again.

The parallels, inverted though they be, between Kyōya and the foster-sister from the Before were unnerving as much as they were appealing.

And though she would never breath a word of this to any one, though she could hardly admit this to herself: Kyōya had been a substitute for the girl from a dream life, had been the replacement for the support that girl had once provided before he became someone special to Tsuna in his own right, separate from the role of the person he could never match or live up to.

So, yes, she supposed that she was more than a little biased in how she viewed the stoic teen. While not through rose-tinted lens, her perception was definitely skewed to be presented in a certain light: a dork with an utterly morbid sense of humor, a weakness for cute and teeny things, and a penchant for violence who was guided by a distorted view of justice. Yes, a dork. Anyone who became mystified over the concept of a high-five, flushed bright pink while trembling with barely-contained emotion when presented with a nemuneko hot pillow, and seriously considered styling their hair with a regent-style pompadour was a dork, and you couldn't possibly convince Tsuna otherwise. Kyōya was just lucky that he had her for a bestie as well as a voice of reason; for now, his reputation that he was so hyper-conscious about was safe and no one had any clue about his inherent dorkiness (and they never would as long as Tsuna was around).

But there were times when Tsuna wondered if it would have been a bad thing, necessarily, if it was a common knowledge. Maybe it would make him more humanized and approachable to the rest of the student population outside of the Committee, cutting down on the amount of sneaky — _and utterly weak_ — attempts at undermining that were always doomed to fail. In this case, it probably wouldn't change much of anything other than maybe the Tree Planting Committee making a stab at Kyōya's authority by either trying to embarrass the prefect or bribe him off with something cute and fluffy. The scary part was, Tsuna wasn't even sure if it would work or not, if it would actually pacify the prefect or just offend him into a mortified rage. So, she would just play it safe and not mention it. Ever.

Besides, it was an advantage that only she and Tetsuya should have the responsibility to wield. At least they could claim that they had Kyōya's best interests at heart, unlike many others of the school.

Back to the matter at hand, though, Tsuna can't exactly say that she's surprised to find the Tree Planting Committee offenders utterly decimated on the side of the school in front of the reception room window. She had curiously looked out to see what Kyōya had been staring at so attentively only to groan in exasperation a moment later. He turned to look at her expectantly, leaving the blonde little choice but to explain via a rhetorical question, "Why am I not s'prised to see the defeated forms've your enemies piled in front've the window?"

Well, it was the best excuse she could give for wanting her friend to cut back on the beat downs. One that he would accept, anyway.

"Hn," was all he uttered in response before yawning. Tsuna rolled her eyes before collecting the cleaning supplies from side closet. It wasn't her turn in the rotation, but if she didn't, the work that Kyōya was assigned to do would never get done (just like his homework). She really needed to stop enabling his delegating and general bad behavior... Just, not today.

(Meanwhile, a toddler-who-was-not lowered the pair of binoculars that he held in his hands, a smirk curling the edges of his mouth as he watched both teens leave the room and move into the hall. He supposed that now was as good of a time as any to finally approach his target and move on to Stage Two of his assessment of her person. The moment she was alone, he would corner her.)

The only thing that made Tsuna more annoyed than doing Kyōya's work for him, was when he stood and _watched_ her do said work, a sly smirk on his face the whole while with his half-lidded gaze filled with utter amusement. Now in a good mood from the 'evaluation', eating his favorite food, getting the reception room, and crushing a group of herbivores, he decided to start on his usual pastime of baiting Tsuna. "You missed a spot, Rabbit," he pointed out childishly with a vague wave of the hand in the general direction she 'missed'. With a put upon huff, Tsuna dragged her feet over to where he had pointed, mopping mulishly as she made sure give the area ample coverage. "No," he purred. "Not there. _There_." The prefect nodded his head towards the left.

Tsuna scooted over.

"No, too far."

She scooted back towards the right, utterly exasperated.

"No, step back a little."

With a half-hearted glare, she did so.

"No, too far. Come closer." He was definitely laughing at her now. "Yes, there."

The blonde clenched her fists before releasing them. Taking a deep breath, she looked up and beamed disarmingly at her friend. "Kyōya-san?" She chirped, eyes narrowed and unreadable.

Looking flustered now from that expression on the woman-turned-girl's face, the heir turned his head to glare down the hall to hide his embarrassment. "...Wh-What?" And no, he did _not_ just stutter. He just had something in his throat, which he then cleared as he crossed his arms.

"This wouldn't happen to be the same exact spot I started out with, would it?"

Uncontrollably, an impish grin spread across his lips, a small snort escaping before he could help himself. Guilty as charged.

"Kyōya-san."

"What?" He asked, now in more control of his emotions.

"Drop dead," Tsuna told him merrily, making his head whip back to face the shorter girl in surprise. "Maybe I'll even bring flowers to your grave." The perfect just leered at her in challenge, his eyes trailing down to gaze heatedly at her throat where a bruise was brazenly displayed for all to see. He lifted his brows suggestively, laughter clear in his mockingly stern expression. Tsuna just smiled all the wider.

"I hate flowers."

"There'll be so many bouquets, it'll be mistaken for a garden."

"You will do no such thing, Rabbit. Too sentimental."

"I can be just as vindictive if I wanna," came the lackluster protest as she stifled her giggles, scrubbing the floor a little harsher than strictly necessary to maintain control. "Kyōya-san's mean... Don't you've got any patrollin' to do? Catchin' loiterers?"

The noiret weighed his options, deciding on which he would enjoy more: baiting his Little Rabbit or beating any stragglers whom were still lurking around the school at five-thirty. Eventually, he shrugged, knowing full well that he could just continue where he left off later. Without further comment, he stalked off to prowl down the halls. Tsuna watched him leave in even measures of annoyance and mirth before returning to her mopping, knowing that by the time she finished his cleaning duties, Kyōya would be finished with the last of the rounds in ensuring that there weren't any more students lingering on the grounds. She jumped slightly when her flip-phone gave a small buzz in her training bra where she stuffed it earlier.

After discreetly glancing down the halls, she quickly flipped it open with a curious hum. With a mischievous grin, she responded back to message that just popped into her inbox and the following debate ensued:

* * *

 **Ikka Forum**

 **Tetsu is online.**

 **Tetsu:**

 _|Tōchō is agitated today, something about a 'competitor'. Bocchō didn't say anything to you about this, did he?_

 **Me:**

 _Well, that's silly. What gave you /that/ idea?|_

 **Tetsu:**

 _|What would be 'silly', would be you /not/ knowing anything. This is serious._

 _|Tsuna, we're talking unprovoked 'bitings' from the elder Hibari here._

 _|I'm not his subordinate, and I didn't even get spared from it._

 _|Tsuna_

 _|Ignoring me won't make me go away._

 _|Don't make me resort to blackmail, you know I hate doing that kind of stuff._

 _|Tsuna_

 _|…_

 _|I /will/ send that picture, don't think I won't._

 _|TSUNA_

 **Me:**

 _Well, what do you /want/ me to say? Yes, Bocchō mentioned it in passing?|_

 **Tetsu:**

 _|Well, that was the question, wasn't it?_

 **Me:**

 _Tetsu, you and I both know it was just a polite dig for more information.|_

 **Tetsu:**

 _|…_

 **Me:**

 _…|_

 _Look, as I keep telling everyone, I'm not his handler, let alone his dad's|_

 _but if something new comes up, I'll say something, alright?|_

 _Personally, I think the competitor will get the hell out of Namimori when he finds out what's what.|_

 _If it makes you feel any better, I'm keeping Bocchō out of the house for a while.|_

 _He's eating at my place. Invitation's open if you want to come with?|_

 **Tetsu:**

 _|Tsuna, you and I both know that was just a platitude to get me off your back._

 **Me:**

 _Ouch.|_

 _I felt the sting on that one.|_

 _Sassy Tetsu is sassy.|_

 **Tetsu:**

 _|Tsuna_

 **Me:**

 _Fine.|_

 _We'll take care of it after dinner.|_

 _Feeling better now?|_

 **Tetsu:**

 _|Much._

* * *

The blonde huffed as she closed the phone with a sharp snap before turning back to the mopping with renewed vigor. The idea that this competitor was enough of a threat to stir up not just Kyōya but his normally unflappable father as well was more than a little alarming. She had said that they would 'take care of it' but what if this was more than the norm? It certainly seemed like more than just the usual fare with budding, gang-leader wannabes. They would likely need backup. Could they maybe just reconnaissance and let Tōchō take care of it? _But then Kyōya wouldn't be satisfied with leaving it at that without put up a fight first, the dummy. Maybe just let him fight a bit to buy time and keep the target in one place_ —

"Ciaossu," a childish voice piped up behind her in greeting, interrupting her internal plotting.

* * *

 **Reflective Sky 02: Fin.**

* * *

 **Vocab:**

 **Side kick - A Taekwondo technique, performed by turning the body sideways with the hip turned slightly over; bend kicking leg close to your chest diagonally across the body, then extend the leg straight towards the target.**

 **Skipping side kick - Also Taekwondo technique, a variation of the side kick. It's done by bringing your back foot to touch the front foot (skipping) and kicking with the front foot. It's almost mesmerizing to watch, actually. You can check it out on Youtube.**

 **Heian era - The years 794–1185 in Japan.**

 **Kyoto - An informal way of saying 'vice principle', not polite. Don't say this. Use: Kyoto-sensei.**

 **Oyabun - Boss of all the gangs affiliated with a 'family'. Think of a mafia godfather, especially since the literal translation means 'foster-father'. Can also be called the 'Kumicho', which is the 'supreme boss' (or just 'boss').**

 **Tettsui-Ikka -** 鉄槌一家 **[Lit. Iron Hammer Family] It's a reference to the manga that stated that cannon!Hibari's pride is** "Namimori Middle's Disciplinary Committee and the iron hammer for those who disturb its order" **in the fight against Adelheid. I'm just making the 'iron hammer' bit literal. The history of the Tettsui-Ikka will be explained in detail later.**

 **Ikka - Family**

 **Tōchō - A clever combination of Taichō and Tō-san (more commonly viewed as Tou-san).**

 **Taichō - Captain, leads a regiment, a party, a company, a squad, a corps, etc. In this case, it's a gang.**

 **Bocchō - Another clever use of word play, combination of Taichō and Bocchama/Bocchan. A term invented by Tsuna that was readily adopted by those in the Committee and in the Ikka. It's not used to address Kyōya directly under the too-real threat of being bitten to death. Only Tetsuya and Tsuna have ever been able to get away with calling him that to his face. Well, them, and his father.**

 **Bocchama/Bocchan - It is a nickname used by the servants for their young masters, or a title to refer to the son of a particularly rich family or one with a lot of status. Not in common use, very uncommon outside of an anime. Here, it's lampshaded as a joke, even if it is true in a manner of speaking.**

 **Ciaossu - Clever combination of "Ciao" and "Ossu" both used as greetings.**

* * *

 **A/N: Alright, so that should be about it for the vocab, I think. Just to clear some things further and possibly stop any confusion in its tracks:**

 **I'm a pole dancer.**

 **NOT A STRIPPER.**

 **NOT A PAID PROFESSIONAL.**

 **I will not show any mercy if you attempt to insinuate otherwise.**

 **It's a hobby, and it's one that not many people in RL know I have. I have a friend who _is_ a professional dancer for a living to thank for getting me into it. I was considering learning so I could turn it into a career, as I did have an 'in', but ultimately didn't. Both because I had a change in luck and because I was under-aged when I first started to learn. I just kept up with it because it was fun as hell and a good way to bond with my friend.**

 **So that move Tsuna did? Totally possible. I just don't 'let go like a moron and get hurt' like Tsuna did.**

 **Yes... Under certain circumstances, I cry fairly easily, like after seeing a sad/touching scene in a story, or witnessing something inspirational, or hearing some song play on the radio, or accomplishing something I worked long and hard for, or watching my fat three-legged cat hobble around and bully the other cats like a grouchy war veteran...**

 **Also, Kyōya is the son of a Yakuza boss, and Tsuna is his sort of underling and protégé in way of being a 'proper carnivore'. Although, she mostly just sees them as besties. He kind of sees her as something between this small _bite-sized_ (sorry, not sorry) carnivore that he's raising and an almost-equal partner that understands him almost scarily well enough to balance out her herbivorous tendencies.**

 **The principle of Namimori seemed like a bit of a pushover in the manga so I tried to continue that in spirit here...**

 **...**

 **I supposed that should just about cover it. If Tsuna seems a little, hmm, fake or cold or two-faced, well... I can be amicable towards those I take a liking to, say and do things with a straight face or do eccentric attitudes for reactions before laughing at the results. However, I can be indifferent and downright frigid. I have been told that I have a hostile and antisocial attitude, but all it is, is me not caring enough to 'play nice'. I have no interest, so why bother? I'm of the opinion that pretending to be something someone else wants if they can't take you as you are, is never worth it. No meaningful and healthy relationship can come out of lies like that, which is a big part of why Tsuna's so friendless besides "big scary Kyōya" not wanting to share... The others can probably either sense her insincerity or have been warded off by her standoff-ish nature early on.**

 **Not to mention, if I lost everyone I cared for, I would be extremely hesitant in forming close connections with others. So I really wouldn't be taking everything seriously, probably treat it like some sort of game that's centered around whomever forces their way into my stone-cold heart and can see past all the bullshit I'm spouting as a defense. Hence, Tsuna's love for Nana and her, hmm, _devotion_ for Kyōya (it's hard to think of a proper word to describe their relationship, it's weird).**

 **I'm also pretty morally-grey, will do anything for those I claim as 'mine' (I actually probably would be willing to help hide a body, but I don't know for certain since I've never been in that situation. If it was to help my foster-sister, there's no question that I would). I'm an extremely selfish and possessive person in terms of hoarding the attention of those I love and caring for their wellbeing, to the point where I have resorted to violence before when harm or untoward attention has come to them (I've broken noses before and will continue to do so if required. You don't touch my girls and boys without their express permission, fuckers). I can, however, be kind when I see someone or something in need and can respect the choices/wants of others.**

 **...**

 **Well, that was probably the longest author's note I have ever done and will ever do. I don't blame you if you just skipped the whole damn thing. Tons of introspection in this chapter as well as a lot of information being hurtled at you. Apologies if the chapter is a bit rough and unpolished. No beta for this story.**

 **Did you know broken noses are surprisingly easy to set back into place? Really disgusting, though, with all the snot and blood.**

 **(EDIT 1-16-2016: Combined some of the old chapter three with the old chapter two and proof-read everything.)**


	3. Destiny

_In this shook-up, twisted world, I'm gradually growing transparent and vanishing._  
 _Don't look for me; don't look at me._  
 _I don't wish to hurt you in a world of someone else's imaging._  
 _Remember who I am..._  
 _Tell me, please tell me, who is that inside of me?_

\- Unravel, Tokyo Ghoul (2014).

* * *

 **Albedo Caelum 03: Fatum.**

* * *

With a slow blink, Tsuna turned around in surprise, her heart inexplicably speeding up at the sight, her hands shaking and sweating as a lump formed in her throat. The owner of the voice was a toddler, and the blonde couldn't help but stare as she tensed up, heart giving a squeeze before thumping heavily in her chest from the almost overwhelming impression of _cute_ …

Dressed in a sharp-looking black suit with a yellow shirt and black tie, topped with a fedora that had a matching yellow ribbon on it, the little boy assessed her critically. Obviously, the olive-skinned baby wasn't all that impressed with her at the moment while she gaped at him like a nimrod. Curly black hair peeked out from under the hat and framed his pudgy little face adorably. With his big dark eyes and long eyelashes, she was reminded of a cow or a doe. A bright yellow pacifier finished off the look, making her earlier assessment of about three years of age lowering to about two years.

Her hands trembled slightly and almost made her drop the phone and mop as the squeezing sensation returned with a vengeance. Currently, Tsuna was so thrilled at the sight of such an adorable looking child, that her whole body almost felt as if it was vibrating from the intense overload of moe that she was experiencing. A strangled 'hieee' escaped from her lips and she immediate went into a squat, clutching the mop handle tightly for support as she stuffed the phone back inside her training bra. Now, she was eye-level with the child who had just caused her to shatter any possible semblance of her being _anything_ like the rumors at school portrayed the so-called 'Dame-Tsuna, the Diminutive Yankī of Namimori'.

"You've gotta be the most adorable thing I've seen yet," Tsuna cooed, her eyes soft and a maternal expression overtaking her face. And it was true. This had to be the first time that she had ever seen a little baby in such a high-quality tuxedo that was obviously custom made. His family was likely well to-do and with a greeting like that, foreign. It was probably a good thing that Tsuna found him first. While she knew that Kyōya would never hit a defenseless baby, he would have no reservations against beating down careless gaijin parents for their negligence, even if that might make things take a turn for the worst.

(Because she knew that he didn't give a flying fuck if in some countries it was considered normal to leave children and baby carriages unattended outside stores and restaurants. This was Namimori, and you just didn't do that here.)

So, she would likely have to take responsibility for this child and take him to the police station on the way home before dragging Kyōya away before he could pursue the matter. They would just have to trust that the police would do their job in a more diplomatic fashion. And until her wayward friend made his undoubtedly grand appearance, she would have to keep the little toddler occupied and hope that her child-magnet charisma worked on him too. At least with the other children, they knew her as their babysitter 'Tsu-nee', a sister of the Ikka. This poor child was alone with a stranger and probably didn't even know any Japanese. Any toddler would normally be terrified out of their minds once they realized just what situation they were in, especially when it was starting to get dark outside.

Hoping to distract him from any possible tear-triggers, Tsuna kept her voice upbeat and steady as she cheerfully complimented him, "That suit really suits you, Sunny-kun! Yellow's such a nice color 'n' you look like a gentleman." She noticed the tiny suitcase he was clutching in one hand and felt as if her heart just exploded from the sheer level of endearment she had towards him at that very moment. What an adorable baby. Was that supposed to be his care pack or some luggage for traveling if he just got here from the airport recently? Maybe there was his information in there, like a name or a phone number. She was forced to grip the mop handle tightly so she didn't reach for it suddenly in an unexpected movement that might scare him. Or scoop him up into a tight hug. It was hard to tell which was more likely. The teen asked earnestly in the hopes for a verbal response of any kind on the slim chance that he spoke any Japanese (or even English, maybe a tiny bit of Spanish) at all, "Are you a bus'ness man?"

A small, amused smirk curled his lips, the toddler looking for all the world as if he would like nothing more than to laugh at her and her misconception. "I am a hitman, my true line of duty is that of assassination. I work for the Mafia," he informed her, his tone professional, despite it being warped a bit by the softened pronunciation of the words. It was almost surreal seeing a toddler speak like an adult. Tsuna felt her heart melt into a puddle of goo. Kids could say the strangest and funniest things, and it really was amazing for him to be this well-spoken. _He's utter precious_ , she squealed internally. _Can I keep him?_ She was only half-joking when she thought that too. _Definitely a good thing that I found him first. Kyōya might have taken that the wrong way; he's always so serious._

Playing along, she leaned forward and asked in a whisper behind her hand, "Eh? Really? Then what're you doin' here for, Hitman-kun? I understand that as a ninja, you'd want to be out past curfew, but I know a scary dragon who likes to bite little kids who don't follow the rules." She widened her eyes dramatically and raised her eyebrows, wriggling her fingers at him in a gesture meant to convey spookiness. "He's not evil or anythin' like that, but we should really find your parents before he finds out you're trespassin' here. What're you doin' here in the school, Hitman-kun? All of the bad men would've been scared away by the dragon."

"My current assignment isn't to eliminate someone, least of all 'bad men'," he told her amusedly. "Rather, my primary objective from a certain man, is to train you to become an astounding mafia boss."

Tsuna blinked at him owlishly, staring in surprise for a long moment. They regarded each other in silence before the blonde swept him in a hug, a fawning expression over taking her previous one of bemusement. She squeal uncharacteristically, "Kyaa, you're a treasure, Hitman-kun; you're so precious! Are you a kid from one of the Tettsui-ikka? I think you're confusin' me for Kyōya; he's next in line, not me!"

Abruptly, a tiny, pudgy hand karate-chopped her head with surprising force, as if it was a little hand made of stone, making her yip in pain and relax her grip. The olive-skinned baby flipped out of her lax hold and landed with the utmost grace about a meter away, far out of reach should she make a move to embrace him again. He scolded her, "Don't touch me so freely, Tsunaguro. You shouldn't allow yourself to fall to the charms of Mafia Seduction so easily. It can end up with you dead." His expression almost lazy as his once-doe-like eyes suddenly sharpened and narrowed to assess her, a hard glint in them that left the teen uneasy.

It was that thin-veiled lethality and the warning hit from before that prevented her from taking him into her arms for a good cuddle again like she desperately wanted to. That, and he just asked her not to. Although, she really wondered if he actually understood what he just said and who thought it was a good idea to teach a toddler the word 'seduction' anyway? "As I am going to be your home tutor from now on, it would best to maintain a strictly professional teacher-student relationship. Perhaps after your mentoring comes to end, we can associate more intimately."

No.

No way.

She refused to take anything he said just then seriously.

Anyone before at least puberty shouldn't be thought of that way, let alone be taken at face value in matters like that. There was a reason Tsuna dressed so modestly in this life, making sure to keep the important bits well covered to dissuade any ideas of an 'invitation'. She was generally accepting when it came to the preferences of others, but when children under the age of consent were involved, she drew a thick hard line that would never be crossed, even when it came to herself. So, no more cute booty shorts, or oversized off-the-shoulder shirts, or teeny tank tops... Although, once she finally finished puberty, all bets were off.

Just because she had her standards concerning her age, didn't mean that she didn't have a hard time resisting her old fashion.

But, she digressed. Point was, the woman-turned-child ignored that particular comment and continued on as if the little boy hadn't said anything suggestive at all. "Ah," she said blandly, her face freezing into an expression of blank serenity. Her brain logging off for the night so as not to look too closely at that words that had just spewed forth from a _baby's_ mouth. Instead, she focused on the other parts of the conversation. "Home tutor?" She queried. The blonde had a sinking feeling that the child in front of her was attempting to claim to be the tutor Nana had hired, but she wasn't going to give up any details nor would she assume anything, either.

The toddler gave an almost imperceptible sigh through his nose before answering patiently, "Nana Sawada called for tutoring services concerning her daughter, Tsunaoko Sawada, at approximately six-fifteen this morning. As the mafia is keeping close tabs on your family and as I am supposed to tutor you in the ways of being a proper boss for the Italian famiglia, Vongola, it was only natural that I be your home tutor for that as well."

"D'you have proof of that? I really find it hard to believe, y'know?" Tsuna asked quietly, her mind churning. Mafia. It really seemed that she was destined to be a part of the underworld, no matter what she decided to do in life. It seemed that, even if she ultimately didn't decide to follow Kyōya, she would still have this 'Vongola' dogging her footsteps, especially since she was getting the strong vibes of this being non-optional. It left her suspicious and uneasy. Why would some random Italian famiglia want her to be their boss? Tsuna knew that she was Italian on her father's side (she was 1/16th, to be exact), but didn't they have things like 'blood quantums' or some such? Considering that she was about ninety-four percent Japanese, wouldn't they choose another heir that actually a native to Italy?

In a gesture of indulgence, the toddler-yet-not withdrew a plain white ID card declaring him a certified tutor from a breast pocket and amusedly presented it to her. Tsuna took it gingerly, her eyes unseeing as she stared at it blankly. Did he really expect this to suffice? There was such a thing as fake IDs, and Tsuna hadn't been asking for proof concerning his home tutor status, but his Mafioso one. Then again, just how did she expect him to prove that? Any letter he could have give her would have meant nothing, as she didn't recognize any boss or leader he had as someone with authority over her. Besides, who heard of ID cards in the mafia? Sure, there were pin numbers for Mafia Land in concerns to members of the underworld (she, herself, was registered as an affiliate of the Tettsui-Ikka with her own pin number), but people didn't just hand out those pins willy-nilly, even for verification.

By this point, she didn't have the energy to try to make sense of all this at the moment, not even her adoration for all things cute and tiny made her want to keep up the draining façade of politeness and amicability. She was tired. She was hungry. She was too old for this nonsense, regardless of her outward appearance. Being middle-aged definitely wasn't all that at times like these. God, she's ancient; practically a relic.

Sometimes, it was just easier to let things play out as they were and attempt to catch any slip-ups from there. She had to admit, this was as strange of prelude to infiltration as she had ever seen. Tsuna had to give them points for creativity and being ballsy, but whomever sent 'Reborn' — _as the card referred to the toddler_ — was truly getting over their heads in their indirect attack. Clearly, they didn't do their homework in just who they were messing with. First priority was getting in touch with one of the Hibaris; in this case, Kyōya, as he had more knowledge of the mafia than the blonde did and was currently the least suspicious to get in contact with. Tsuna didn't want to tip off the little possible-spy that anything was amiss, after all.

"Saa," Tsuna finally sighed after a full minute of staring at the card, decision made to play along for the moment. God, she **_hated_** it when underworld organizations used _children_ ; it made some cold inside her stir and burn with an icy outrage. Choosing her words carefully, the woman-turned-girl continued in a thinly-controlled manner, "Fine. Let's go find Kyōya, _Reborn-sensei_. Mom's makin' favorites t'night." Returning the card to an utterly surprised not-toddler, the blonde stood up from her zuwari gingerly and brushed down her long skirt in an attempt to calm herself. Whipping out her phone from where she had absently stuffed it in her training bra earlier, she sent a terse e-mail to Kyōya, a simple two-worded one of 'find me'.

Picking up the bucket and mop, Tsuna went into the girls' bathroom where she dumped out the dirty water and exited. She made to head back towards the reception room where she originally got the cleaning supplies, when a childish voice stopped her. "You would accept this so easily?" Tsuna turned back to look at the not-really-a-toddler. He wasn't upset by this change in events. In fact, he looked to be pretty damn pleased by this new update, although a vaguely suspicious sort of curiosity was present as well.

Half-lidded eyes examining her intensively to catch any tells and involuntary reactions to his words. Reborn was easily able to spot the grimace and the shuttering of the eyes that was too slow to be a blink but not long enough to be a closing. Tsunaoko Sawada was exasperated. An apathetic, bone-tired resignation tinged liberally with an air of 'I don't really care anymore, so whatever, let's just get this over with already'. It was disquieting to see on a face so young. Despite himself, the hitman felt a thrill of unease, sympathizing with the sensitives he had encountered before and how they must have felt when looking at him. Not to mention, there, in her eyes, was a shade of resentment; a cold anger that clued the Hitman in very quickly that: no, Tsuna wasn't completely happy about this new change of events and, no, she didn't entirely believe him.

It looked wrong, simple as that, an off-ness that ruined any effect that she had been attempting to make. Whatever mask of geniality she had been was quickly discarded in the face of her suspicions and anger ( _what set her off?_ He wondered. Tsuna hadn't struck him as particularly unstable or the irritable sort, but this was pretty odd, even for one of the female gender).

Her eyes drooped, and the unsettling feeling of something-not-right deepened. "…'S not as if I gotta choice, is there? Whether I 'ccept this're not, it won't go away, this 'Vongola', will it? Not to mention, who knows who'll they send next if I turn you away, what they'll do if I refuse." Her rhetorical question and the sentence that followed was biting and bitter, making Reborn frown. What was presented in front of him didn't match up at all with the teen he had observed all day nor with the teen that was in the reports.

(Distantly, a detail from said reports tugged at his mind, nagging at him about the short sentence that noted a similar trait in her early childhood _— a world-weariness that was so_ emptyemptyempty _and_ deaddeadead — that had only gradually disappeared after extended contact with one Kyōya Hibari, except it seems like it hadn't at all.)

Before he could say anything, a hand abruptly clamped down on Tsuna's head, encasing it in a death-grip that immediately chased away the creepy and eerie expression, replacing it with one of relief and discomfort. "Ow, _ow_ , _owww_ , Kyōya-saaan, don't be so rough!" She whimper pathetically, dropping the bucket and mop to pry at the fingers in protest. "I didn't do nothin'!"

"I thought I told you not to make me bite you to death," he growled, eyes narrowing warningly as he quickly examined her visage more closely before letting go and storming off towards the reception room, bucket and mop in hand, with a huff of annoyed distaste. "I don't want to see that look on your face again," he ordered before declaring, "It's ugly."

"Ehhh? But this's how I always look! _Kyōya-saaan_ , that's mean!" She whinged petulantly. "You can't just call me ugly 'n' then walk away like nothin' happened!" She trotted after him, brushing past Reborn who continued to watch the scene with shrewd little eyes, useful information and connections forming in his mind. "Waaait fooor meee!" She wailed pitifully, voice fading into the distance as she chasing after the irate teenaged boy who ignored her.

Tsuna was relaxed now, the hitman realized. She had felt threatened by him before, something in his actions or words awakening this repressed side of hers and forcing it to the forefront. A trigger that was originally harmless but quickly escalated into something that, well, _wasn't_. Although, what that trigger ultimately was nagged at him. He supposed it was the threat of the unknown — _her words earlier alluded to that quite spectacularly in her distrust of the Vongola, whom she knew nothing about_ — and learned caution that came from working in the underworld. Trust, he noted, would be something to work for with his new student, annoying but not undesirable, considering the line of work in the mafia require some degree of skepticism in its approach with others, lest one be manipulated to suit the goals of another.

Still, it was a good thing, that he had already marked the young Hibari as candidate for the famiglia. Tsuna trusted him, and he would be much easier to convince of Reborn's credibility. He, at least, would have heard of 'Vongola', being who he was and who his _father_ was, more importantly. There was no question that one Kyōya Hibari would become a vital asset in the future.

Besides being the only notable associate with the future Vongola Decima, Kyōya was also heir to a respectable yakuza family, one that may have been small in numbers compared to others but not in power; their territory not expanding as it could have purely by choice. And, even though the Tettsui-Ikka was already somewhat tentatively aligned with Vongola, a more solid allegiance via a mutual friendship through both heirs (and, eventually, bosses) would only be beneficial.

Not to mention, even if the first two reasons weren't factors, his presence and untamed flames alone would have made him compatible with the high standards Reborn set concerning guardianship. Said flames might not have been visible, but they didn't necessarily need to be in terms of their 'presence'. A presence the aggressive teenager had in spades.

Well, there was no question in the matter, especially since one of the many focal points for that drive of Kyōya's centered around Tsuna. He wouldn't need any convincing to become her guardian — _not when he already was, to an extent_. All that was truly needed was for the teen to accept her as his 'boss', to acknowledge her as someone worth following.

But that could wait until after Reborn established a base to work with and finally convinced Tsuna of the legitimacy of the whole situation first.

* * *

Kyōya finally took notice of Reborn when Nana cooed down at the little toddler while the trio took off their shoes by the entrance. _Well,_ Tsuna supposed to herself, _more like outwardly acknowledged him._ _There's not much that will get past him, he just usually doesn't deem most mortals worthy of more than a cursory glance unless they're breaking the rules or unnecessarily crowding… Uh oh, he's looking at me now for an explanation, think quick!_

"Found the tutor you told me 'bout earlier, Mom," the blonde remarked unsteadily as a nervous sweat broke out. She tried to avoid eye contact with her friend. "We had an, uh, int'restin' conv'rsation, but he's legit. Geniuses, gettin' younger every day, right? Haha, ha, haaa..." Tsuna could tell that he wasn't buying what she was selling, she didn't even have to look at him to tell that his Glare of Doom was intensifying. Still, any actual serious explanation — _and confrontation, for that matter_ — would have to wait until Nana wasn't present. While the teen couldn't be entirely certain that her mother was clueless, there was no use risking it unnecessarily. If Mrs. Sawada was in the know, she would eventually approach her daughter about it, whatever 'it' entailed exactly.

The blonde was still mostly in the dark concerning what being a mafia boss was about. She knew what being an oyabun entailed, as she sat through countless private classes with Kyōya and, eventually, Tetsuya. So, she knew a lot about the inner-workings of the yakuza, Tettsui-Ikka mainly, as well as the history and credo of Kyōya's family that both Tsuna and Tetsuya would most certain be working for as his first- and second-in-command. As such, while she had some knowledge of underground hierarchy, the woman-turned-girl had a sneaking suspicion that mafia 'famiglia' and a yakuza 'ikka' were quite different in many respects, despite a few main similarities. So, really, perhaps it was a good thing that she conveniently had a home tutor that she could redirect Kyōya to (not to mention, he would have all the right questions to ask in order to find out the truth, whether Reborn wanted to reveal it or not).

Besides of which, child or not, Tsuna just didn't have the energy to deal with people right now: both Reborn _and_ Kyōya.

And bless her heart, but Nana's usual quaint normality wasn't appreciated at the moment either, especially when the woman finally turned her attention from the child tutor to the two teens. Letting out a stunned gasp, she began to fuss over them both. "Again?!" Nana cried, her hands fluttering over Kyōya's taped nose before moving to gently gasp the arm that had the sprained wrist. The boy's face grew steadily pinker and pinker in the face of the housewife's fretting and cooing reassurances. "What happened this time? You poor dears."

Tsuna attempted to intervene to save Kyōya from death by bashful mortification, "Mom —"

"Oh no, Tsu-Tsu-chan! Your neck! It's all bruised!" Her mother wailed. "I swear every time I see the both of you again, you get hurt! Both of you, go sit on the couch. The school nurse may have done first aid, but I need to see the damage for myself."

"Sawada-san —"

"Don't fight me on this, Kyōya-kun," Nana scolded. "I just want a quick look and nothing more, all right? Then I'll leave the both of you alone until dinner." Uneasily, the prefect settled down unto the couch. The older Sawada's mothering always made him feel out of his element, uncomfortable and self-conscious. It was usually hilarious to watch her friend internally panic in the face of Nana's forceful kindness and doting, but it was really not the best time. Still, there was very little that either teen, let alone Reborn, could do when the mother set her mind on something.

Nana ended up re-taping Kyōya's nose after taking out the gauze and placed his sprained wrist in a brace after gently massaging it with witch hazel. With Tsuna, the mother had her hold a cloth soaked with apple cider vinegar to the bruise. The blonde didn't mention the huge one on her stomach, knowing with absolute certainty that Nana would flip out (and probably call Iemitsu, and right now was _definitely_ not the best time, between Kyōya being a flustered irritated mess and Reborn being a sketchy toddler from an even sketchier organization). So, the moment the older woman stepped back in apparent satisfaction, Tsuna bolted, picking up Reborn with one arm and dragging Kyoya with the other, up the stairs with a hurried 'thanks, mom!' shouted over her shoulder.

Finally free from the older Sawada's clutches, the woman-turned-girl ushered the two boys up into the relative safety of her room and firmly shut the door behind them before blurting out, "So, I'm a mafia boss now. It's a thing, 'parently." The Skylark eyed her in a distinctly unimpressed manner, an eye twitching with barely suppressed annoyance which had completely replaced any semblance of embarrassment he had before. Nervously tittering, the blonde added, "Although, I don't know much more th'n that. Reborn-sensei only got 'bout this far before I, uh, texted you. Considerin' everythin', I thought it'd be best if I got d'breifed with you. Bein' my best friend and an heir to a 'family' of your own, makes you a person of int'rest just as much as I am, y'know?"

The noiret grunted his assent somewhat reluctantly, sending suspicious and assessing glances at the toddler, who unabashedly stared right back with a smirk toying at the edges of his mouth. "If one was to overlook your overly trusting and revealing proposition, Tsunaguro, you made an acceptable attempt at interfamily relations," Reborn drawled. "You are fortunate that it was a guardian candidate and an heir to another underground organization, otherwise you would have signed his death sentence. It would be wise for you to take care of whom you tell in the future."

Tsuna's expression twisted into one of offense, "Well, duh, that's why I only told Kyōya and not my mom! Plus, he's the only person I actually trust who's already in the know concernin' the underworld. Don't know if this's a thing in the mafia, but just like I'm his right-hand man, he's mine. Which, strictly speakin', makes us somethin' like bus'ness partners. Can't really do nothin' if your right-hand doesn't know what your left's doin'… Or somethin' like that."

Kyōya snorted, a smirk covering his face when the teen turned to look at him in betrayal. "Eloquence is not your best attribute, Little Rabbit."

She huffed, grumbling, "Who needs eloquence as long as you get the point across?"

"A mafia boss does, Tsunaguro," Reborn interjected, his tone, while not exactly sharp, pointed. "One of the many lessons I will cover with you as your tutor will be speech therapy classes. The Vongola Decima will _not_ speak like a third-rate thug, if I have anything to say about it. And considering I will be the one solely in charge of your training, I most assuredly do."

Tsuna wrinkled her nose, not entirely sure how to feel about that. She's never been told something like that to her face, let alone by a toddler. Sure, her Japanese was more than a little lackluster, but was that really necessary? Unthinkingly, she quipped, "I didn't choose the thug life, the thug life chose me."

Kyōya gave her a sharp karate chop to the head in reprimand before turning to Reborn as if nothing happened, speaking over Tsuna's whinging, "Vongola would be the name of the ikka she's taking over, I suppose? Sounds familiar."

"Correct, Hibari-kun. And it would, Vongola is the strongest famiglia in Italy and widely renowned throughout the underworld. Vongola Nono is getting old and planning on passing the boss status onto the tenth generation. Unfortunately, the most qualified of the tenth generation, Enrico, was shot in a feud." Reborn pulled out a photo of a rather handsome-looking dark-skinned man wearing a pin-striped suit.

 _Although,_ Tsuna mused detachedly as she studied his spread-eagle form, still clutching his gun in a death-grip, _any attractiveness he's got is a bit ruined by that ugly hole in his skull._

And Reborn continued, showing the photos of a heavier-set man — _although, it was entirely possible that he was just bloated from being drowned_ — and the skeletal remains of another: Matsumo and Federico, respectively. "And while ideally, the next boss would be someone who was born into the mafia world instead of civilian; you, Tsunaoko Sawada, are now the last viable candidate left with a direct bloodline to the famiglia, because your great-great-great grandfather was the founder of Vongola," Reborn revealed, bringing out a family tree.

"Ah," was all she could say as she gazed at the family tree. What was worrying to her was that the names on the family tree were actually familiar — _at least until Yoshinobu, her grandfather Ietsuna's brother_ — from her childhood back when said grandfather had still been alive. And while she couldn't be one hundred percent certain, 'Yoshimone' sounded vaguely familiar when she rolled the name around her head for a bit and came up with the memory of her grandfather talking about the days when he and his brother were kids and the things that did with their own father... Still, the implication sat in. That there may be some truth to Reborn's words, that she might truly be heir to same powerful mafia family in Italy, one where previous heirs had been systematically killed off.

"So, that must make me next on the hit list, then… Huh…" The blonde mumbled out loud, not really as scared by the notion as she probably should be, numb instead. She blinked slowly before giving a serene smile, remarking conversationally as if talking about the weather, "Yeahhh, I'm probably gonna die."

"More than once," the home tutor agreed as Kyōya casually swatted Tsuna on the back of the head again, provoking a muffled yelp in return. "I will likely have to shoot several times but not as much as I first thought. I wouldn't be surprised if you ended up sparking flames by your own Will soon enough, considering you had in one previously recorded incident before."

"Wait, what?" Tsuna squawked, flailing slightly and forgetting about her smarting scalp. " _Shoot_ me?! _Flames_?!"

The physically oldest, but mentally youngest, in the room finally spoke up again, sounding somewhat surprised, "Yíyuàn? I thought that was another one of those metaphors that Mother would occasionally use when it became relevant. Can a person actually ignite an internal fire and not be burnt?"

Reborn turned to eye Kyōya in interest, his eyes half-lidded as he examined the teenager in front of him. "So the Hibaris have a similar legend?"

"No, only my mother's side of the family. She used to belong to the Chinese Triads before she was permanently retired," came the droll answer. "I was too young for her to explain it in detail, but the basic concept remains the same: a user of the Yíyuàn can die, but if their Will is strong enough, it can defy even death and ignite a flame that can't be extinguished… or something along those lines."

"Oh!" Tsuna exclaimed, placing her fist in her upturned hand as a brainwave struck her. " _Determination_!" She said in slightly accented English before switching back to Japanese. "I think I get it. 'The will to keep living. The resolve to change fate.' A 'driving desire to continue', right? I saw somethin' like this from a video game once." Well, in a past life, but she wasn't picky or one to get hung up on specifics. "But how's that like in real life? This isn't a manga or video game, Reborn-sensei."

"It's difficult to explain to people who haven't outright experienced for themselves. While Hibari-kun here is on the very verge of igniting it himself, he hasn't experienced a situation dire enough where his normal intent is pushed into overdrive and the initial barrier is broken. Situations such as that are usually life or death but not always. It's mostly just a single-minded focus, the concentrated power of Will."

"So utter determination?" Tsuna pressed, a secretive smile tugging the edges of her lips. She would likely lose it if there turned out to be such a place as 'Mount Ebott'. She was Skelebro trash. "Condensed 'nough to be visible? Do they come in seven diff'rent colors 'n' look like hearts?"

This time, it was Reborn who hit her; albeit, with another axe-kick instead of the karate chops Kyōya had been using. Said boy tensed in agitation, his eyes narrowing dangerously while the hitman continued, unperturbed by the death-glare he was receiving, "This needs to be taken seriously, Tsunaguro. As you said, this is not a game, so don't treat it as such."

"Eh, sorry, Reborn-sensei," the woman-turned-girl mumbled somewhat apologetically. "Just a lotta parallels. I really liked that game."

The not-toddler eyed her balefully before closing his eyes with a long suffering sigh. "The rest can be addressed later… Do you have something you wish to say, Hibari-kun?"

"No," came the terse answer. Although, the deepening frown in his expression said differently.

"Good," Reborn purred. "We don't want any accidents to happen, now do we?"

Kyōya's hackles raised in challenge at the non-too-subtle threat and Tsuna quietly panicked at the idea of a fight-to-the-death breaking out in her bedroom. Especially since she wasn't quite sure who would win and, frankly, she wanted neither prospective contestant on the losing end of the spectrum. One was her only friend and the other was just a little kid; it seriously wouldn't be pretty, and Tsuna would be morally obligated to avenge the loser. And lose terribly.

So, in the hopes to avoid what was likely the inevitable — _unfortunately_ — the blonde swooped the not-toddler in one arm and grabbed Kyōya's ear with the other, making a snarl of discontent come out of the physically older boy's mouth. "Not in my room 'n' absolutely not in my house! Let's eat dinner like normal person and do this later, 'kay?" And, not giving them the time to respond otherwise, Tsuna bustled down the stairs, carrying one and dragging the other after her. She likely would be punished later, a retaliation delivered by the both of them, but hopefully there would be very little, if any, collateral damage in turn.

Plus, there was always the hope that Nana's cooking would once again make miracles and end wars; thus making the other two forget about tearing into each other with her in the middle...

* * *

Tsuna jolted awake, images from her most recent dream still fresh in her mind as she blearily stared up at the ceiling before turning her head to eye the clock. It was almost half past five in the morning. She didn't see much of a point in attempting to go back to sleep, so the blonde gingerly got out of bed. With the skill that came only from plenty of practice, she left Reborn somehow undisturbed as she passed his futon — _well, to her knowledge, anyway_ — and silently left the bedroom.

After doing the initial washing and cleansing, the woman-turned-child started the bath in the hopes to loosen the rampant tension in her body, feeling as if a bulldozer rolled over her body several times before she was stretched out like taffy. She let out a long, drawn out groan as she sank into the hot water, her thoughts filled with self-pity. Truly, the Dying Will bullet had a crash to be feared, all the aches and pains you didn't feel while in the Dying Will state returned with a vengeance followed by a bone-deep weariness that made Tsuna not want to do anything ever again.

 _She hadn't wanted this in the first place; unfortunately, it wasn't exactly like she had a choice in the matter. The moment dinner had been finished and the three of them were outside, Kyōya had attacked Reborn and they got into a fight… With Tsuna caught in the middle. She had wanted the fight to stop, wished that brawling wasn't always the default answer and that she didn't have to deal with it all. And, at some point, in the midst of the confusion, there had been a gunshot and sudden pain —_

 _There had been no life flashing before her eyes, no slow motion view of what had been happening around her; just the pain and a strong poignant regret —_

 _What a waste, I was given another chance at life and I wasted it by accomplishing nothing. If I had one more chance… I wouldn't be so useless this time, I wouldn't waste it, I wouldn't fail like I have before. I would do_ anything _, whatever it took,_ no matter what _—_

 _It was like her body was just instinct and driven intent. Tsuna knew what she wanted done, had a singular goal in front of her very eyes, but merely stopping the fight hadn't been enough. She had went beyond merely interrupting it, escalating into a violent prevention of any possible continuation. Tsuna had cold-heartedly attacked a caught off-guard Kyōya, starting another fight and finishing it herself, before turning to do the same with Reborn. The home tutor had needed to use the one-ton reversal hammer to make her stop on her single-minded mission. Everything had went blank after that, as she had lost consciousness as soon as she was hit._

 _(And she hadn't seen the rather vulnerable expression on the young Hibari's face before another, darker expression crossed it; one of bitter respect and a chilling one of icy resolve. He turned his back on his fallen friend and didn't look back as he stumbled back to his home, his wounded pride being the only thing mostly intact._

 _And she hadn't known Reborn's reaction to the almost feral Tsuna that had arisen in place of the air-headed and nearly harmless Tsuna of before. It was unnerving to witness —_ and entirely unbefitting of the mafia boss he and Nono originally had in mind _— her effectively beat her prospective cloud guardian into submission. Then when she had turned to face him next with those damnable_ emptyemptyempty _eyes, he knew something was off and that it would be a better move to abort the Dying Will than let it run its course… Because the way it was being used, it was just wrong and unnatural._

 _But she didn't have to, to feel guilty and horrified at what she had done —_ at the reemergence of a side to her Tsuna had wanted to believe that she had long since left behind _.)_

So that left her there, sore and guilty but not regretful as she's not entirely sure that she would do anything differently if the same thing were to occur again. Sure, Tsuna could try to make herself feel better by swearing that she won't, but that would be just another lie she's told herself. After all, if someone were to say she was capable of inflicting that much damage to her only friend before Reborn and his magic bullets were in the picture, the teen likely would have laughed and dismissed it as an impossibility. Clearly, she was not the best judge in determining in just how far she was willing to go, just how much self-restraint she truly had…

Tsuna hated that sensation of not being fully in control, lost in emotion and instinct. She hated that more than anything. While she couldn't promise that she would never be hit by those thrice-cursed bullets again, she could promise that it would be as a last resort and not to be used as an easy fix-all. Especially since this time around, she felt that more had been lost than gained, that it would've been better to either let things go their course or to have just mediated without the bullet.

Everything was wrong. And for the first time in a long, long time; Tsuna's body didn't feel like her own.

Memories of the dream flashed through her mind again and she abruptly pulled the plug, a shiver of disgust and fear crawling up her spine. The girl climbed back out of the tub and snatched a towel, attempting to rub the goosebumps and her sensation of filth away, vigorously scrubbing her skin dry and red.

It was only after she happened to look up at the mirror that she stopped, staring at the blonde girl reflected back at her uncomprehendingly. That wasn't her. She had grey eyes and long colorless hair. She was 168 centimeters tall and had lean muscle. She had a beaky nose and wore glasses. She had multiple piercings on both ears and a secret tattoo inside her mouth on her left cheek. She was named after a damn _flower_. That girl there, it wasn't her.

 _She_ wasn't next in line to be a mafia boss.

 _She_ wasn't thirteen and still in middle school.

 _She_ hadn't been reincarnated into some magical world.

Because _she_ hadn't —

" _Oh, God_ ," the girl gagged, slapping a hand to her mouth before running to the toilet and retching horrendously, utterly sickened. " _Wha… What have I done?_ " She demanded from herself hoarsely in English, tears beginning to leak from behind her eyes. " _What have I fucking gone and_ done _?_ "

There came a knock at the door, making the girl freeze in petrified guilt, her eyes trained unseeingly into the toilet bowl filled with water and her sick. "Tsu-Tsu-chan," came the sleepy voice. "Are you okay? Do you want me to come in? You sound upset."

 _Nana_ , the girl realized with heavily relief. _It's just Nana, not… not That Girl. Nana doesn't know, and it's — it's just a dream anyway, right? Not even a memory, just a dream, because there's no way I would — that she would —_

"Tsuna?" Nana was worried now, the sleepiness fading only to be replaced with anxiety.

" _Right, that's me now, too_ ," the blonde to herself morosely in English, trying desperately to cling to a sense of normality. " _I'm not that person anymore. I, the me I am now, wouldn't do that. I'm fine. I'm fine. I'm fi—_ "

"Tsunaoko?" Came the insist voice, the high tone of worry making the teen's final wits snap.

" **I'm** _ **fine**_ **!** " She bellowed, startling both herself and Nana who stumbled away from the door in utter shock. A stunned speechless silence descended on the both of them. Tsuna swallowed hard, attempting to say something and failing for several long seconds before she managed hoarsely, "I — I'm fine, Mama, I just… Last night ended in a fight and I… I'm sorry for takin' it out on you. I just, I need a minute."

"…Alright, Tsuna," Nana murmured, tapping on the door once before walking away from the bathroom, both shaken and pensive from her daughter's out of character outburst. She didn't notice Reborn watching the whole encounter with sharp, calculating eyes as he mused over what he had gathered by that short exchange.

Perhaps the Dying Will bullets would be best used sparingly and his student's flames drawn out by other, more natural means if Tsunaoko Sawada was this mentally unstable in the duration of the state and this emotionally unstable in the moments after.

* * *

Breakfast had been a quiet and uneasy affair, and Tsuna had hated every moment of it. She had managed to pull herself together — _"Memories, don't think about them. Fears, don't let them grow. Anger, don't let it spread, oh,_ God _, don't let it spread…"_ — into not exactly one piece, but something vaguely resembling whole. It was hard to maintain composure considering this was the first time that the woman from the past life, the one with the name of a flower, had actually fused with Tsuna as _her_ , Tsunaoko, and not just be an abstract influence. That the woman had actually taken over — _even though they were supposed to be one and the same, even though they were of the same soul_ — and reverted back to how she had been before That Girl entered into her (their?) life, was willing to attack even Reborn…

No, it didn't bear thinking about. It was beyond terrifying, but she, well, she was _Tsuna_ now, not _Tsunaoko_ , if _that_ made any sense. The blonde was herself, the person she had been for the past thirteen something years, and at the moment, that was enough of a foothold to start working back towards 'normality'.

This once, Tsuna was grateful for waking up so early; she was somewhat on time now, instead of how late she would have been if the breakdown had happened at the usual time she woke up. This gave her the opportunity to go on a morning jog to warm up rather than just sprint like hell to the school, because she actually had time to go on a six kilometer circuit around the neighbor and back to her house where she could pick up her bags before finally going to volleyball practice. The double rally tournament was tomorrow after all. Four sets, one of which she might be able to play if the regular setter, Sato-senpai, got tired during the third straight set.

Not to mention the Inter Junior High prelims for the district phase was fast approaching (as it was already May, that left her a little less than a month until June second to practice), if she could just get that one chance to show what she was capable of, her sole dream would be that much closer. She had six years total, if she included this one, to make a name for herself. The younger she started, the better. She wasn't one to half-ass things, as a friend of hers from a past life once said: 'you either get the booty or you don't; there's no such thing as "half a booty" when you go on booty-calls.'

That had been… an interesting person to say the least.

Glancing up at the sky as she continued to trot forward, still mostly dark as dawn hadn't yet broke, Tsuna briefly wondered what happened to those few friends the woman-she-had-one-been had, what happen to them after the woman's death… If they ever found the body. Lake Superior was big after all, large enough that it has both currents and a bi-polar attitude similar to that of an ocean's, so deep that many a ship that had sank in it hadn't been found…

Tsuna shivered and shook her head violently to clear it of such dark thoughts, until she accidently ran into a pole from being disorientated from shaking her head. Yelping, the blonde crouched in front of said pole, clutching her head and willing the pain to fade. "Stupid," she muttered disparagingly to herself. "Don't lose sight of what's in front've you, right? What's then's then. No use worryin' 'bout it."

 _(Because if you don't see what was in front of you and only look at what had been left behind, it would only be inevitable that you fall…_

 _And Tsuna couldn't afford to fall again, not like last time._

 _Because even if she got back up, she would never be able to bring herself to move forward again, forever stuck in a standstill.)_

Forcing herself to continue, Sawada once again returned to a fast jog to complete the rest of the circuit, stopping only once more to pet one of the many stray cats she had fostered and fed over the years, this one being named Methuselah for his old age. The teen couldn't be for sure — _as she could only reliably account for eleven of those years and could only add about eight more years on top of that from hearsay of the housewives in the Tettsui-Ikka and possibly an additional three from a picture that one elderly man she occasional interacted with showed her once_ — but if she had to guess, Methuselah was in his mid-twenties… which was comparable to that of a human who was well into their one hundreds. Funnily enough, despite being a little stiff, Methuselah was just about as spry as he's ever been.

He even deemed to follow Tsuna on the fences back to the Sawada residence. But that was probably because he had rightly guessed that if he did so, the blonde would give him something to eat as well as pet him some more for being so persistent as well as being a welcome distraction. Methuselah enjoyed the chicken fried rice with asparagus and repaid the favor by scaring the demon chihuahua from hell into retreat when Tsuna neglectfully passed by that house again. No one dared to mess with that cat if they valued their continued health; he was untamable and did as he liked. The best you could do was to gain his favor and become his loyal subject, therefore being under his protection as a possession.

(It reminded the woman-turned-girl of something, or possibly someone, but she couldn't place what or whom, exactly, for the life of her.)

Tsuna was early to practice — _one of the first ones there, actually_ — so she helped to set up the equipment by assisting in putting up the net and make sure that it was at its regulated height of 224 centimeters. Then she set the balls for the other team members to practices their spikes and receives. The third-years were noticeably absent for the whole duration of practice, leaving the second-years in charge of the drills and coming up with a few simulations concerning the rival team of the elite Yumei Private.

They had been extremely lucky that the manager of their team had agreed to a tournament before the Inter Junior High Prelims began in June. No doubt it was to get a good eyeful of the competition, even though it was made very clearly from their attitudes that Namimori Middle didn't even register as a threat to them. But it was fine, Tsuna's team could stand the embarrassment, because it gave them an edge too. They could measure just how much they stood against Yumei and where they stood in concerns to winning the District Stage of the Prelims. There could only be one school standing in the end, after all.

And Tsuna made it her ambition to be the last one to leave the court.

* * *

 **Reflective Sky 03: Fin.**

* * *

 **Vocabulary:**

 **Yankī -** **Japanese delinquents, more commonly punk students affiliated with a gang.**

 **Gaijin - [Lit. Outside Person] Japanese word for foreigner.**

 **Kyaa - An onomatopoeia refering to a scream, usually in reference to school girls [read: fan girls] whom are notorious for high-pitched screams.**

 **Zuwari - The Yankī squat. 'Nough said.**

 **Saa - A** **noncommittal reply indicating that one has understood a statement and given it serious thought. Some possible translations are "So!", "Well!", and "Beats me!" (A good English equivalent might be the British "Innit?").**

 **Yíyuàn - Final Wish.**

 **Methuselah - An old ass man from the Bible. Lived to 969. A cat would have to live 238 years to equate.**

* * *

 **Yes, in Denmark, it's common to leave baby carriages outside while parents go inside to shop or eat.** **It's not uncommon to see kids bundled up outside during a Scandinavian winter, taking a nap in their strollers. Called _frisk luft_ in Danish — fresh air — something parents think is essential for health and hearty development. Their carriages are portable and bed-like, which Danish kids use throughout infancy and toddlerhood – really until they just won't fit. **

**They sleep under down comforters called _dunes_ from the time they're born, which is a matter of necessity because their kids nap outside year-round. If the family doesn't have a yard or a balcony, the babies might nap in the courtyard while moms check on them occasionally from their fifth-story windows. General rule of thumb is there's no bad weather, only bad clothing.**

* * *

 **A/N: So, that should just about do it. Hopefully it isn't as painfully obvious as it is to me that I have no clue what the hell I'm doing.**

 **I don't know. You people are already coming up with ships already... Maybe I'm better at BS'ing then I thought.**

 **So, yeah, apple cider vinegar is actually really good at helping with bruises and a shitload of other things like diabetes, disinfecting, treating nail fungus, lice, warts, ear infections, weight loss, heart disease, etc. Swear by it.**

 **Oh, and Tsuna is 149 centimeters while I'm 168 centimeters. Which is about four feet nine inches. Diminutive, indeed. Tsuna may have my frame but not my height. At least, she has better eyesight, I'm slowly going blind (extremely near-sighted).**

 **Also, if you find the time, check out the poll on my profile please. I'm leaning more towards Undertale (as evidenced by my many, many references, but I'm open to the other two if they end up more requested... I've already written a bit for all three).**

 **(EDIT 1-23-2016: Added more content, adjusted dialogue and thought processes to make them more concise.)**

 **(EDIT 1-26-2016: Combined part of the old chapter 4 with chapter 3 to even out the chapter lengths.)**


	4. Absent

_'Cause I don't ever wanna know;  
Don't ever wanna see things change,  
'Cause when I'm living on my own,  
I wanna take it back and start again._

 _[...] I send so many messages that you don't reply [to]._

 _[...] Now, please don't go. Oh no.  
I think of you whenever I'm alone  
So, please don't, please don't go._

-Please, Don't Go; Joel Adams (2015).

* * *

 **Albedo Caelum 04: In Absentia.**

* * *

 _'A father has grey eyes and a mother has brown eyes; their son has grey eyes. He marries a woman with grey eyes. If they have a child, their child will likely have…'_

 _Grey eyes_ , Tsuna wrote irritably before glaring down at the test as if it had personally offended her. In a rare moment of spite, she continued, _But if both the mother and the father of the child have the gene for brown eyes from their respective parents, it's possible that the child will have brown eyes too. Isn't that right, Sensei? ;p_

The blonde hadn't known that there would be a science test today. She hadn't even studied. Still, she was finding herself to be almost mortally offended by how simplistic this one was phrased— _making her feel like she was somehow being patronized and degraded through the paper itself_ — and how Dōhachiro-sensei had singled her out as the tests were being passed out with all his 'hypothetical' nonsense. He had actually provoked a snarl out of the teen, scaring both him and her nearby deskmates into a quick retreat. No one dared to laugh.

It really was turning out to be a bad day for Tsuna; she normally wasn't anywhere near being this testy. Dōhachiro's bids at provoking her usually only brought an annoyed frown before she dismissed him, not feeling up to playing with his petty mind games. Today, though, she just wasn't having it.

' _There… are two stagesofmeiosis which re…sult in fo…ur daughter cells. Eachofthe daug…hter cells havehalfof the chro…moso…mes of the par…ent cells…_ '

The words seemed to cram themselves together and become almost indistinguishable, forcing Tsuna to rub her eyes before looking out the window for relief. As soon as she finished suffering through the test, she would leave school briefly. What had happened yesterday was bothering her to the point where it was affecting her normally unflappable persona, to where she was allowing herself to be baited by _Nezu Dōhachiro_ of all people and not even _directly_. She would make it up to Kyōya somehow, and do it today, because what she had done had gone beyond the normal limited of their sparring. It had been insubordination and betrayal of the worst, and that was just unacceptable.

No one so much as scratched his tonfas, but then she had done the unthinkable and completely trashed them. There would be no fixing them; they were utterly irreparable, rendered useless to him.

And it was all her fault.

"Stupid," she muttered under her breath, harshly rubbing the heel of her hand against her forehead. But it wasn't too late yet, she could still make this right. There was no way she would be able to finish her errand in time for the lunch period — _which she would normally spend in the club room doing paperwork_ — but she might make it before final period. And while she was doing this earlier than expected, Tsuna owed it to him. She would come up with something else for his twentieth birthday; this was more important than that.

Decision made, she finished off the rest of the test with half-hearted answers, stood, collected her things, and placed the completed test on Dōhachiro-sensei's desk. Tsuna was already digging for one of her many excuse slips by the time the teacher's brain caught up with his eyes. The blonde ignored his blustering and pitiful attempts at intimidation as she looked in her bag. But the slips weren't there. "Screw it," she growled before turning to the teacher and snapping, "Quiet, will you? There's people still takin' the test. I'm done with the damn thing, and I'm goin'. There's nothin' more for me here t'day. If you got complaints, bring it to the Committee; I honestly don't give a rat's ass."

And she left the classroom without any further fanfare.

Tsuna went all the way back home and climbed up the tree to her second story window with ease, slipping in after jimmying the broken lock that she never bothered getting fixed after Kyōya had broken it for the twenty-sixth time eight years ago. There she dropped off her school bag, changed her clothes into something that wasn't her school uniform, and dug out the rest of the deposit for the present that she had been saving ever since Kyōya first brained someone in the head with his wooden weapons of massive destruction. She had enough spare cash in her wallet that she wouldn't have to worry about having enough for the train fare. Before she left, Tsuna hesitated for a long moment by the window before reaching a decision and retrieved her tekko from her hiding place under the bed.

One could never be too careful.

Leaving house, it was about a seventeen minute walk to the Namimori railway station. From there, Tsuna took the Chuo line to Ochanomizu station where she switched over to the Chuo-Sobu line to Akihabara station, her last stop. In total, the trip there took her a little less than an hour and a little more than 1,400 yen.

Funny thing about Akihabara; back in her previous life, it had been a city that was just as popular to fans of anime as the Harajuku shopping distinct was to fashionistas. In this life, that was not entirely the case. In this version of Akihabara, while there was the otaku culture, underneath it all was Japan's underworld black market. And it was the best cover, with so many replicas of different weapons and armor from various anime and manga being displayed in shops, it wouldn't be out of a place for people to buy a few, and with some replicas looking so realistic, a person would be hard pressed to tell which was real and which was not. Especially if they weren't a fan. Most, if not all, of the black market weapons shops had a legit cover, meaning that they would sell good quality novelty items that wouldn't be out of place in comparison to their 'competition'. Meanwhile, if the right combination of connections, money, and involvement came through the door… Well… that would be another matter entirely.

Thankfully Tsuna was all three and was a well-known customer simply for the fact that she was so invested with her custom order's creation. She helped in the creation of the blue prints and concept ideas, as well as the obvious supplier of the funds needed, paying half in advance as a measure of good faith over the course of the past few years. She visited as often as once a month to once every other month; which, while that may seem not very often, it added up over the course of five years. Not to mention, she came to 'Bosō Shoten' on the recommendation of the Hibari family, customers of the store owner's family for over six generations. Therefore, there was no need for her to stand on ceremony when she entered the store, Tsuna just went to the restricted section of the store that led downstairs where the more custom wares were kept.

Making a bee-line towards the workstation, she knocked on the wall to announce her presence, calling out, "Sir? 'S me, Sawada. Plan's changed. Pick up's gotta be t'day."

"Hm? Sawada?" The dark skinned man looked over his broad shoulder, removing the goggles that he had been using to protect his eyes while wielding. Clear blue eyes stared through her as he sat up straight, cracking his back in the process with loud pops from the joints. A finger scratched at his shaven head as he squinted at her, a tad suspicious. "Changes being?"

"I fucked up bad, Danjuro," Tsuna admitted honestly. "I got into a fight with Kyōya-san and his current tonfas ended up, um, seriously wrecked."

"Damn, and you're still breathing?" He asked in surprise, letting out a slow exhale.

"Well, I was too overwhelmin'," the blonde elaborated hesitantly. "I was, ah, out've control."

"I repeat, how the _hell_ are you still breathing?" The middle-aged dealer muttered in disbelief, getting up to retrieve the five-year-old order from the bowels of the vast basement.

"Made myself too much've an asset to get rid of; that and Hibari-san probably thinks that Kyōya-san needs a few pegs kicked down once in a while… I just personally think I've went too far. Those tonfas were practically his babies." Tsuna grimaced. "It'd be better to just give 'im these now as an apology 'n' come up with somethin' else for his twentieth."

Danjuro gave a grunt of agreement before adding with a faraway-sounding voice from his distance, "Can't say I blame you for doing that, might just save you from a biting."

"Doubt it, betcha I'll be the first one he tests those on."

"Ooh, how much we talkin' here?" The crafter perked up, his head abruptly appearing around some shelving, starting Tsuna.

" _Je_ -sus," she exclaimed in English, her heart thrumming in her chest. After gathering a shaky breath, the teen scolded him, speaking in Japanese once more, "Don't do that! And, just so y'know, nothing, 'cause I'll be nearly broke after this. It's just a thing people say."

"I know that, just got to be sure. Nothing like a bet to make things interesting…?"

"The answer's still no, but you at least get the consolation prize of the second half of what I owe you. 450,000 yen." Tsuna handed it over and waited patiently while he counted it out twice for assurance. With a nod of approval, he carefully handed her the pair of custom made tonfas.

"Ah, it would have been a fool's bet, anyway... So, back to business, I tested these out myself," he told her. "As long as they're taken care of and well maintained, they won't fail to deploy all the little goodies when you need them most. If this gets wrecked, bring it back to me. I've known those for longer, and know them better, than any others I've made. If anyone can fix them, it would me. Just for the right price."

"Figured as much, Danjuro," Tsuna smiled as she carefully wrapped the tonfas in clothe before placing them in one of the many paper bags laying around with the logo 'Bosō Shoten' emblazoned on it. She then gave him a double thumbs up in a silly looking pose to which he responded with one of his own before reaching out and ruffling her short hair, making Tsuna squeal and attempt to fix it.

"Take care of yourself, Kid," he ordered gruffly before adding in a lighter tone, "And don't be a stranger either, you hear?"

"Gotcha loud and clear, Sir!" She sketched out a bowed quickly before bending over further to grab the bag from the floor.

"Hey, no need to go that low," he chortled with a wink.

Tsuna scoffed before waving it off, "'Course I do when I'm in the Oh-So-Great Master Crafter's presence!"

"And don't you forget it! Be gone with you, Kid! I got work to do, and I'm more than sure you're skipping school for this." With a final wave, Tsuna trotted away from the workstation and back up the stairs. Danjuro watched her go fondly for a moment before muttering to himself, "That Hibari brat is damn lucky to have a friend like that. Sawada's a good kid." He then returned to his workstation and placed the money into the thick looking safe before continuing what he had been working on before he had been interrupted.

* * *

Three hours and twenty-six minutes later from when she first set out, Tsuna returned to Namimori Middle, once again in her uniform. She replaced her school books with the tonfas — _which were still carefully wrapped_ — in her messenger bag in order to make it less obvious that she carried such precious cargo. And, thus, it was that much easier to smuggle it in.

Her heart started to beat faster and faster as Tsuna got more and more anxious the closer she approached the reception room where Kyōya was located more than likely. More than anything, she wanted to set things right, but there was still a part of her that quailed at the thought of confronting the prefect. Don't get her wrong, she loved Kyōya and all, but she also had a strong dose of fearful respect concerning his temper too. You didn't go about provoking him with the expectation of being able to escape the consequential biting.

So, the teen had been completely honest when she said that she wouldn't be surprised if the first thing Kyōya did after receiving his new tonfas would be to use them on her.

After dithering in the hallway for a solid thirty-or-so seconds, Tsuna finally opened the door, words vomiting out of her mouth at high speeds, "Look, Kyōya-san, I'm really sorry 'bout last night with the tonfas! After gettin' shot at, I just sorta lost it and —" She cut herself off with a hiccough and a surprised blink. "Tetsu-san?"

"Shot at?" He asked incredulously.

"Er, yeah," the blonde confirmed haltingly, unsure as how to explain. Raking her eyes around the reception room, she queried uneasily, "Where's Kyōya-san?"

Still dubious from the information that he had just received, but not entirely surprised considering the pair's track record since when he first met them, Tetsuya Kusakabe cross his arms before giving a shrug. "Bocchō didn't show up today, haven't seen him since the day before last. Now, just what happened to the two of you last night? I wasn't under the impression that guns would be involved with the competitor..."

"Well, that is — I — he —" Biting her lip harshly, Tsuna took a deep calming breath and started again at a much slower pace. "Eh, 's a long story, but considerin' Kyōya's probably broodin' in his room, upset enough that he wouldn't even come here, I s'pose I'll have to do this t'morrow instead." She sighed before taking shuffling steps over to one of the leather couches, her feet dragging all the way. Once at her destination, she flopped over the arm of the couch and onto the cushions gracelessly, an air of depression hanging over her. "To start, ah, I'm 'parently the next in line to be a mafia boss now. The competitor? Turns out he's my home tutor who'll teach me all the things related to being one. Somethin' about Reborn set Kyōya off, they got into a fight 'n' I just... I wanted it to stop. Then there's a gunshot 'n' I absolutely lose it. I break up the fight myself, forcin' my way in and... and..." Her voice trails off, face beginning to take on a terrifyingly blank countenance, her eyes empty and dull.

"What did you do?" The vice chairman asked softly, brows furrowed in concern as his ridiculous regent-style pompadour almost seemed to wilt slightly from the change in the ambient atmosphere in the room. Resting his buck chin on a fist, he regarded the pathetic figure Tsuna made with some apprehension.

"I broke his tonfas."

The long strand of grass that he had been twirling in his mouth fell from his lips in utter shock and a growing sense of horror that only intensified once he verified that the girl in front of him wasn't joking. In a manner that was almost funny, in a sad sort of way, Tetsuya asked the same question Danjuro asked only a couple hours prior, "How are you not dead?"

"I dunno," Tsuna murmured. "Reborn-sensei probably stepped in. I blacked out not long after I did... what I did."

"You're lucky that he wasn't here today," the physically older teen informed her flatly, his tone entirely serious. "He would have 'bitten you to death' with his own bare hands."

"No need for that, I brought the tools for my own demise. Here." Tsuna tossed her school bag over to the prefect who opened it without further prompting. Unwrapping the cloths, he blinked slowly he caught sight of just what was stored inside.

"It's hard to say if you're hopelessly naïve or just plain stupid," Tetsuya remarked almost conversationally after a short pause in which he brought out one of the tonfas to better examine it. "It's high quality," he approved, if somewhat puzzled. "How did you find these on such short notice, let alone the money for them?"

"I didn't find it, I commissioned it five years ago after he outgrew the wooden ones and got his currently trashed pair," the blonde informed him quietly, tone bleak. "It's s'posed to be for his Seijin no Hi. I thought that it'd be sorta poetic that, like he's startin' a new turnin' point in his life, he c'n start with a fresh pair of tonfas... or somethin' to that affect. Now, 's a offerin' for forgiveness instead. As for the money... Part of it was doin' countless errands 'n' small jobs for Tōchō and the rest was babysittin' the Tettsui children for the sisters of the Ikka. Hibari-Tōchō is the reason I was able to do this, he knew 'bout the gift from the beginnin' and deemed it worthwhile to help make it real. The store where this's made, is where I really went once a month to 'the city' for. 'S not even in Tokyo, although I do take the railway line that goes t'wards it."

"Well, I have to hand it to you, if he wasn't furious with probably homicidal rage, he would be thrilled to get this. Even more so than that hot pillow you gave him to nap with last time, might have even been enough to provoke another one of those genuine and non-bloodthirsty smiles out of him. Now, though, it might just be enough for him to call it 'even', you know how he holds grudges."

"If it wasn't for how he took blatant displays of weakness, I'd be willin' to grovel for it."

"Yeah, you wouldn't want to do that," Tetsuya agreed. "Angry disgust is not a good combination. After that 'display of dominance' you just gave him last night, only to go and do that the next day... He might even be repulsed enough to call you a zashokukei for that."

Tsuna gave a hollow laugh, "Worse. He'd call me a plant, the absolute bottom."

"Or 'Bunny'," the prefect offered amusedly.

"Oh, _God_ , not that again," she groaned in a long-suffering manner. "He only stopped that after I managed to clock him in the face back in primary. Do you know how long I had to put up with it before I met you? About four years."

"I thought as much," he snickered. "Arguably, 'Little Rabbit' isn't that much better."

"Nowadays, it's mostly just 'Rabbit'," Tsuna pointed out quickly. "That I can deal with, but 'Bunny'? I think it just might kill the rest of the Committee members from the effort of holdin' in their laughter. It's bad enough that I have to put up with the senpais and Reborn-sensei callin' me 'Tsunaguro'."

"Speaking of 'Reborn-sensei', mafia heir? I wasn't aware that Sawada-san was a mafia boss."

"He's no...t..." The teen trailed off, her face froze in shock and a dawning sense of horror.

"You mean you didn't _know_?"

"Oh, my GOD," she shrieked. "Dad's in the mafia! _My_ _dad_ is in the mafia!"

"And probably a boss if you're a candidate," Tetsuya added helpfully, chortling as he recovered the strand of grass that he dropped in his lap.

"How the flyin' _fuck_ is everyone not dead?!" She wailed. "He's the most irresponsible person I know! But, yet, _it explains so much_. Oh, my God. Does _Tōchō_ know? I know he knew my dad, especially after I became Kyōya's friend, but I don't know if he knows!"

"Probably, even if Sawada-san's a Namimori citizen in his own right, he's still a mafia boss encroachin' on Tōchō's territory. They probably have a deal worked out and your friendship only cemented an alliance between the two families," the left-hand man of one Kyōya Hibari speculated.

"Oh, my God, I need to call my dad, _right now_ ," Tsuna exclaimed, standing hurriedly and almost tripping over the coffee table in her rush. Snatching the school bag that was once again closed with both tonfas contained inside, she continued in a flustered manner, "Bye, Tetsu-san, and _thank you_. I owe you one!"

But she didn't get to call Iemitsu Sawada; Reborn reached her first as Tsuna was running for the stairwell that led to the roof. He had been hiding in a hollowed out section in the wall behind the fire extinguisher which opened up automatically with a low humming whirl.

(In the back of her mind, she reaches the realization of why there had been some sporadic renovations around the school now. The fact that the principal authorized something as big as this to take place within the last few weeks and get it past the school board doesn't surprise her, considering the underworld has it claws sunk deeply in the government. However, it leaves her vaguely resigned that she can't escape her fate even if she fought it —

 _Because you can't escape what's nearly everywhere with no way of knowing what's compromised and what isn't, especially when you have ties in multiple factions_.)

"Skipping class, Tsunaguro?" Reborn chided as he took out a gun and leveled it at the blonde's head, making her freeze in her tracks. "Are you sure that your grades can afford that?"

Tsuna grimaced before avoiding the question with no 'right' answer. She hated it when people posed those types of traps. If you're going to be hostile, be direct about it. If the kid was going to play that game… Well, she was up for playing along. "Will this ever be applicable to my life? Will there be a time that knowin' how DNA replicates help me with being a mafia boss?"

The pint-sized hitman narrowed his eyes. He clicked the safety off.

The blonde huffed, dropping the sass, "If I really tried, I'd get top scores. But I don't care 'bout my classes 'sides the bare minimum needed to stay in volleyball and the Committee. There's nothin' that the current teacher's here c'n teach me that I can't just find in my textbook. 'Sides, Dōhachiro-sensei isn't actually a legit teacher."

"Reeeally?" Reborn drawled. "Then prove it. If you can pass the test I give you back home with at least an eighty, I let you skip as much as you want as long as the reason is mafia or... _Committee_ related."

"If I fail, I stay in class," Tsuna finished reluctantly. "Fine, Reborn-sensei." The home tutor nodded in approval and stored away the gun after clicking the safety back on. She moved to continue past him before abruptly changing her mind. She could avoid half the trouble of calling her Dad if she just asked her tutor who was _standing right there_. Besides, she could always just confront her wayward father when he called on Sunday like he did every week. Crouching down into a zuwari stance, Tsuna asked, "Also, speakin' of 'mafia', is Dad really a mafia boss? If I'm next in line, that means either he or Mom is the current one... And honestly, it just seems to make more sense for it to be on my Dad's side considerin' I get my 'Vongola Blood' on his side've the family."

The not-toddler laughed, "Close but not quite, Tsunaguro. Iemitsu is the head of the CEDEF, a secret intelligence organization independent from the Vongola. He's effectively the second-in-command. It was by his recommendation to Nono, among other conditions such as your lineage, that you are the heir." With a smirk, he joked,"How lucky for you that there is such a thing as nepotism. Although, it must be said that your budding connections and growing experience in the underworld also played a part in your acceptance as heir."

Tsuna rolled that in her mind for a moment before asking, "So, would that mean that once Dad retires that Kyōya would take over the CEDEF since he's my second-in-command?"

"No, as your cloud guardian, he wouldn't be impartial and would be directly connected to Vongola instead of independent. He could lead another branch of Vongola, say Varia, if he was able to usurp the position from the current head via a battle of skill, or possibly found his own branch."

"'Cloud'?"

"A discussion for a later time," the pint-sized hitman dismissed. "Go get ready for your practice. I fully expect a stellar performance in the tournament tomorrow." With that final parting remark, Reborn closed the door to his secret hideout, leaving Tsuna staring blandly at a fire extinguisher, not entirely satisfied with the answers she recieved but placated for the moment. Still, somehow the unsaid threats seemed more ominous to her than they would have been if they had been verbalized. Placing her head in her hands, she let out a muffled shriek of frustration.

Tsunaoko Sawada was never able to catch a break, it seemed.

And the day only went downhill from there. The third-years still weren't present for practice, which was concerning, in of itself. They could still practice, but their captain, vice-captain, ace, and both middle blockers were missing from their ranks and hadn't been heard from since yesterday. That was five players from their regulars right there. Sure, out of seventeen members, that wasn't as bad as it could be, but they were _first choice_ for a _reason_. They had experience in spades and skill from years honing down their respective playing styles. They knew each other's habits, strengths, and weaknesses well. They _trusted_ each other in their game play. Something that Tsuna couldn't boast the same of.

Still, out of the twelve team members remaining, at least they had Sato-senpai, the only second year from the regulars. With him and the five standbys that usually replaced the regulars for whatever reason, the team still had a chance at victory… But a small part of Tsuna was _disappointed_ that it had to be Sato who remained. Sure, she knew that she should be thankful that at least their setter was dependable in showing up to pre-tournament practice, but with him in attendance and such a needed presence in court to both keep moral up and everyone in line, the chances of her going on the court went from slim to negligible. Her first chance at playing in an authentic rally, and it was taken from her before she could even _try_.

Then when she went home, Reborn was lying in wait and ambushed her in her own room. The only thing that prevented her from being shot in the head with a rubber bullet was a danger sensitive instinct cultivated from years of random attacks from her closest friend in this life. She wasn't quick enough to dodge the second one and was shot in the stomach, directly on the tenderest spot of the bruise there. "What was _that_ for?" The blonde protested from her spot on the ground in a wounded tone.

"I felt like it," came the flippant answer. "You were taking too long, Tsunaguro. Plus, without practice, I'll get rusty."

"…Right," Tsuna muttered dubiously as she picked herself off the floor and dumped her jersey in the clothes hamper before taking off her jersey and also discard it in the hamper. Snatch some wayward shorts and a sleepshirt, the woman-turned-girl donned them stiffly, regretting that she didn't properly stretch or properly cool down before hitting the showers in the girls' locker room after practice. She had been in such a hurry to leave practice so she didn't depress herself more… It seemed that she was going to pay for her negligence now. Absently walking past Reborn to her desk, the blonde rifled through one of the drawers until she found her hot patches and applied them to the worst aches — _applying no less than three to her abdomen_.

Satisfied with her work, she turned to the closely watching toddler who had taken the time to set up her test on the low table in front of him. Tsuna had to quickly stifle a groan at the sight, half-expecting the questions to be college-level in an attempt to force her to attend class. _Well, the joke's on you_ , she thought to herself. _College or university level problems won't be an issue for me_.

"Really?" The hitman queried with some interest now. "In that case, you should be able to easily answer all of these high school exam test questions with ninety percent accuracy."

 _What the_ —

"I can read minds," Reborn informed Tsuna, with no little amount of glee at the tailspin he just sent his student into. What he purposely failed to mention was the fact he could only glean strong surface thoughts with any clarity, most of the time only gathering impressions, emotions, and intents of the minds of others when he felt like it. "So I'll know if you're cheating." And while her thoughts were in both turns too quick and too scattered to make any comprehensible sense of, the hitman gained the impression of intense offense and residual mortified embarrassment. He smirked knowingly, making Tsuna let out a shaky scoff as she sat across from him at the chabudai.

"As if I'll need to, Reborn-sensei."

* * *

The next morning found one Tsunaoko Sawada with the intense regret of ever opening her mouth last night at the dinner table. Her mother had easily detected that her daughter's poor mood had, in fact, worsened since the debacle in the bathroom but was more stable than her mood at breakfast. So Nana took the opportunity to ask what was bothering Tsuna.

And, as much as she could say without mentioning anything with magic bullets, underworld-related, or past lives, the woman-turned-teen told her about how she broke Kyōya's tonfas, got replacements only to find out he wasn't at school, and then about the volleyball team… How all the third-years hadn't shown up for whatever reason, leaving their regular setter in charge and her unlikely to be able to play in the tournament, especially since the boys would always be picked first on the team, despite it supposedly being co-ed.

She had felt better getting most of the problems off her chest and talk about them, had actually been in a better mood after dinner. Relaxed further as she took her time thinly slicing the sixteen lemons needed for her honey lemon recipe for tomorrow's tournament. And, not to mention, was positively cheerful after she had gotten the results back from Reborn's test — _passed with only four problems wrong, leaving her sitting pretty at ninety-six percent_ — enough to take Reborn's hellish tutoring in stride without compliant, despite its abusive and unorthodox undertones.

(Actually, his tutoring methods had to be one of the single most terrifying things Tsuna had ever experienced in her life, tied with her yakuza-lite kobudō lessons with her tekko and Kyōya's hands-on training with her in keeping both of their skill sharp. The only thing that she experienced and terrified her more in this life, was when Kyōya aimed one of _Those Smiles_ in her direction. Tsuna briefly wondered what that said about her when most of her worst fears involved her best friend in some shape of form.)

Her mistake had only been fully realized after Reborn gave her the schedule for the day… And informed her that she would be taking part of the tournament as the setter. He had, apparently, taken the initiative to _poison her teammates_.

"I called in a favor," he said. "I know an assassin who specializes in poison cooking, although all her cuisine tends to be entirely lethal instead of merely hazardous. I tampered with the pizzas using my own flames to neutralize most of the destructive storm flames she leaked into the cooking. So, they and their family's digestive system will be in utter agony for a few days, but nothing they will be unable to recover from."

Tsuna was, understandably, horrified. "Reborn-sensei!" She screeched. "You can't do that to innocent civilians! I 'preciate you not killin' 'em off, but still!"

"It's 'appreciate', Tsunaguro," the toddler corrected warningly, his eyes gleaming. "And since you seem to be so sure of what I can and cannot do, we'll have another speech therapy lesson instead of your morning jog. You can make up for it with a three kilometer dash to the school after." Tsuna had covered her face with a pillow and screamed curses in muffled frustration as the pint-sized hitman cackled evilly before reluctantly taking the microphone handed to her.

What occurred next was an hour of her reading various materials off a screen on a machine that her microphone was attached to. It listened to her dictation, and if it found her words lacking, whether by it not recognizing the word or the word on the screen not being said precisely as it was presented, it would administer a hearty jolt of electricity. It made some allowances for the regional slang, but it didn't tolerate any more than that, forcing her to repeat the word again and again with electric corrections until Tsuna pronounced the word correctly. Not to mention, it had the extra option of allowing Reborn to press a button that would give her another zap of electricity if he, himself, wasn't satisfied.

The little twerp didn't even feel any form of regret later when they both found out later that he took out one player too many because one of them was visiting a fellow teammate when the pizza was delivered. He was just annoyed that one slipped past his notice.

This left the whole volleyball team in a mad scramble to find _someone_ who was both _willing_ and _able_ to be a temporary replacement, instead of practice like they normally did in the morning. Eventually, they came up with Takeshi Yamamoto as their emergency stand-in.

He was 177 centimeters, taller than even some of the third-years and high schoolers. With a highly athletic build, butterscotch skin warmed from the sun, and soft brown eyes that reminded her of warm maple syrup — _probably because she was still hungry, she didn't get the chance to eat breakfast, much to her dismay_ — Tsuna was quick to liken him to one of the children from the Ikka, Tai. Even more so with the carefree and rather charming personality. _I bet all the old ladies like him_ , she decided. _He seems like the boy-next-door type. Well, except for the hair, too short and… scruffy…_ Considering how untamable her own hair was, seeing someone with even wilder hair was something of an unusual occurrence. Doubly so when it seemed to be that way without aid of a styling gel.

Tsuna didn't think she'd seen him before, quite sure that she would remember someone with that bright of a presence. Maybe he was from a different primary school? Definitely had to be in a different classroom, of that she was certain. According to Toma, he had found the fellow first-year in the baseball field practicing alone. The blonde briefly wondered if he was part of the team and was any good before double checking to make sure he was all right with being their extra player and that he wasn't strong-armed by the highly manipulative Toma Kurokaze — _a forceful first-year with blue-black hair and sly coal eyes_.

Once it was established that, _yes_ , Yamamoto was there of his own free will and the coach gave whole-hearted approval, the rest of practice was spent to give a crash-course in both the rules and basic plays. Coach Watanabe, only faculty teacher who anything remotely about volleyball, decided that Yamamoto be given the position of middle blocker instead of wing spiker, both because of his height and because of his amazing jumping power developed from years of catching mid-air baseballs, as according to said coach, their extra player was a baseball superstar. Catching the grimace that was hidden behind another grin, Tsuna wondered if he played for fun or if he was one of those kids whose parents forced him into a sport and was only any good because of constant practice brought on by the pressure from all the expectations thrust upon him.

"Yamamoto-san," Tsuna beckoned seriously, unconsciously frowning at the idea. "How d'you think you like your balls tossed?"

"Haha, what?" He asked lightheartedly, narrow brown eyes blinking at her in almost childlike curiosity. "What do you mean by that?"

"As the setter, 's my job to make sure the other players c'n play to their full p'tential and spike freely. To do that, I need to know what their pref'rences are with tosses, like if they want the balls tossed higher or slower or somethin' to that effect. With Shimizu-senpai and Kowari-senpai, I already know their habits and pref'rences since I practice with 'em a lot. And I've got some idea what Kaito-senpai and Toma-san like. But you're new territory to me, so I need to ask since we don't have the luxury of time," the blonde explained patiently.

The black-haired teen gazed at her with something approaching astonishment and fascination. As if the concept of support and adaptability from fellow team member was a new and previously unconfirmed theory, rather than a natural occurrence. Tsuna didn't notice this, as she had turned to wave over Shimizu and asked her to help set up some quick tosses before they had to get ready for class.

"We can leave the equipment set up," the elected temporary-captain suggested when she got close to her two underclassmen. "That should leave us more time to practice and get familiar with each other's playing styles now and again later before Yumei gets here, especially since the gym is reserved for the day. Yamamoto-kun, don't feel bad, but for the most part, we're going to be solely focusing on you. Mainly with basic receives and passes, we can cover blocks and _maybe_ spikes if we have time later on."

"Eh? I thought I was a 'middle blocker'. Shouldn't I learn how to do that first?"

"Passin' is _easily_ the most important skill in volleyball," Tsuna informed him gravely. "Point is to make it easy for me, the setter, to set the ball for our spikers. With a poor pass, it makes both the set 'n' hit suffer."

"And while blocking the ball so that the other team's unable to score is important, the ability to keep any ball from touching the ground and keep the 'connection' alive is invaluable," Toma added carefully, crossing his arms as he tilted his head to the side in order to study Yamamoto at a new angle, cogs turning in his mind as he thought of the best way to persuade the other boy. "Which is one of the reasons we asked you for our team, your experience in baseball will be an advantage in receiving to keep the ball in play. Not to dismiss the skill blockers have, but it's mostly intuitive, keeping the ball from entering our side of the court. Not to mention, with your height, we have a definite advantage over Yumei since you're taller than even some high schoolers and pure muscle."

"And even if that was enough, we got your back!" Kowari added, bounding over, bumping Toma to the side with her hip, and slinging her arms around Tsuna and Shimizu's shoulders, looking a little odd as her underclassman was a good head shorter while her classmate was a good head taller. Toma mock-scowled and ruffled the older noirette's hair, making her whine in protest.

Startled, the boy laughed with a hesitant grin, unsure as how to react to the display of comradery and offer of support. It vaguely made him uncomfortable. He was used to being the one depended on by the whole team, the one ace in which the outcome of the game was hinged upon. The idea that others had his back and were willing to support him if he stumbled… It was a novel experience that he hadn't realized he was able to appreciate. It was nice and relieving, in a way. To have others adjust for _him_ , instead of the other way around where he had to constantly adjust for everyone else.

How quaint.

* * *

Despite her best attempts, it was obvious to the rest of the members of the Committee that their manager/secretary/editor/mascot/whatever was crushed by their chairman's absence. She might have not said anything or even implied anything of the sort, but they were all of the agreement that it involved the volleyball tournament later that day.

Contrary to the opinion of the rest of the school body, they were not slow or particularly stupid in any sense of the word. Nor were they a band of mindless minions that only answered to their delinquent overlord, Kyōya Hibari. Actually, the school body couldn't be more wrong in that regard, as said 'delinquent overlord' despised idiocy above all else, even more than crowding and rule breaking. He liked having subordinates who could think for themselves as well as carry out any orders given to prefect completion.

So, they were conscious of the discreet partiality and soft spot their boss had for the sole female member of the Committee, and one would have to be blind to miss the open affection and devotion Tsunaoko Sawada had for him in turn. (There were several bets in place that revolved around the mysterious relationship the two had for each other; whether it was truly only platonic as Sawada claimed, if and when that would change, how far their boss's patience with her stretched, if Sawada ever won against him in a fight, and so on). They were also well-aware that she was the only Committee member who was a part of another club and wasn't penalized when she prioritized volleyball-related events over Committee-related ones, the only known condition of this being that Sawada represented the public image Committee, so failure was not an option if she was to take part of match. The chairman was also rumored to have been in attendance to previous matches that Sawada had been a part of back in Primary and one earlier that year.

Sawada was well liked within the Committee, particularly for the fact that she was willing to do favors for them and keep the chairman from biting them all to death if he was in a bad mood or provoked in some manner or another. Her generally amicable attitude and skill in first aid also helped to endear her to them. She was a hard worker and didn't shy away from some of the more illicit activities of the Committee, assisting in cover-ups and clean-up duty. She didn't judge and was accepting of the members as people, no matter what they had done or who they were for being recruited by the Hibari family, specifically by the heir (vast majority being a yankī or part of a gang). Sawada had even been the recruiter in some cases.

So, it was no surprise that they would be willing to do a small favor for her, especially when there was a high likelihood that she would be grateful enough to do them a few favors in return. With a little persuasion, they convinced the vice chairman that it was, in fact, a good idea to and show support for their fellow member by going to the match in the place of their boss. Kusakabe had been surprised but had readily agreed, a small smile on his face as he suggested that they also record it, "I'm sure that Tsuna-chan would want Bocchō to see her play as well."

Seeing the girl's face light up with genuine delight at their presence made it more than worth it to spend an hour or so of their time watching a ball being hit from one end of the court to the other.

* * *

It was quite by accident that Tsuna spotted Reborn with sniper's rifle on one of the high windows of the gym before the game started, but the first she did was make eye contact was shake her head, mouthing, 'don't shoot me', followed by a 'please' soon after. The last thing she wanted or needed was to be shot by one of those accursed magic bullets again. Her fear and pride wouldn't let her. Fear for obvious reasons, and pride because the bullets were no better than a shot of steroids. Tsuna wanted to win from her own merit and skill as herself, not from some freaky power up that let _Tsunaoko_ do it all for her.

If anyone was to be shot with a magic bullet, let it be Yamamoto so that his lack of experience be made up with overwhelming skill.

After staring him down for a long and tense moment, murmuring 'don't, don't, _don't_ ' under her breath the whole while, Reborn raised his rifle up and away from her, placing to the side. The blonde sighed in relief and smiled gratefully at the toddler with a nod of thanks before turning back to her team which were lining up at the end of the court.

Looking across the court, beyond the net, Tsuna straightened to her full height of 149 centimeters as she tried not to grin too widely. Finally, finally, she had the chance to play. And despite the circumstance, she wasn't going to complain, only too happy to take what she could get. _The only thing that could make this all the sweeter would be…_

She glanced over towards the bleachers, tawny eyes skimming the crowd before she spotted something that made her turn her head around in surprise. The whole Committee was there, taking up the back row. One of them even had a tiny sign. She couldn't read it at that distance, but she was utterly touched all the same. Unable to hold back her emotions, she gave a watery beam and a discreet wave in their direction before forcing herself to face forward, valiantly struggling to keep back the happy tears that fought to escape. "Ossu!" She cried a little louder than necessary before sketching out a bow.

Now, more than ever, she wanted to win.

As the tournament was at Namimori Middle, Tsuna's team got to serve first. Starting with the server in the back right corner and going counter-clockwise was Kowari, Tsuna, Yamamoto, Toma, Shimizu, and Kaito — _a boy with copper hair and limpid grey eyes_. And, unfortunately, the only people on the bench was the coach and manager. And instead of having twelve players like Yumei Private, they only have the bare minimum of six. Meaning that if for whatever reason, something was to happen to one of them, there would be no one to take their place, leaving them at a severe disadvantage. She could only hope that they would last.

The blonde glanced over her shoulder back at the noirette briefly and received a wink from Kowari. The second-year threw up the ball and served a floater. Number Four, who was on the far left in the front, and Number Six, who was front and center, drove to receive it. Six managed to pancake it but the ball was lost anyway, as the rebound bounced off the hand and towards Four, who was in too awkward of a position to do anything about it. "Nice serve!" Tsuna, Toma, and Kaito cheered, equal measures relieved and elated. The first serve was always the hardest and this one broke the subtle tension encasing the team nicely.

Kowari served again, this time the ball being received by Yumei's libero, Eleven, from the back center with a dig. Four was quick to bump it over the net. Toma moved to assist Yamamoto in blocking but both were a split second too late, not even able to sneak a touch. Expecting this, Kowari dashed forward to receive it, as Tsuna wasn't in position to set the ball, Kaito dashed forward and passed it, allowing Toma to make contact with a broad attack.

Four and Six blocked it, sending it back to Namimori's side of the court. Kaito dived to receive the ball and sent it towards Tsuna's direction. The blonde jumped, glancing around quickly to see that Toma was being marked and thinking that Yamamoto was too much of a wild card at the moment. Directing the ball to her left, she allowed Kowari to hit the ball from behind the attack line again at third tempo.

Eleven dived and rolled as he sent the ball back towards the net. This time, Yamamoto and Tsuna blocked it, ending the connection. "Nice block!" Toma crowed, slapping the taller boy on the back before peer around him to look at the setter, "You too, Tsunaguro!"

For once, Tsuna didn't mind the horrid nickname.

Kowari served again, this time the captain, One, on the back row receiving it and passed it to the setter, Five, who was on the front right. They tossed the ball and the final member, Two, spiked it from the attack line. Shimizu received it and bumped it over to Tsuna who tossed it to Toma at a sharper than standard angle, making it fast and low. He attempted a cross shot, but Eleven was ready for it, sliding down on one knee but still managing to receive it. Five set the ball and One hit it back to the net, only to be blocked by both Toma and Yamamoto, getting stuffed as the bouncing off his head and to the side. Five, being in the prime position bumped it back over as both boys landed back on the floor.

"Chance ball!" Kaito called, wide blue eyes going even wider in excitement as he rushed forward to pass it to Tsuna.

"Yamamoto!" The blonde warned before passing it to him, the only one she could toss to at the moment.

Jumping, a peculiar gleam in his eye, he spiked the ball with a ferocity that was almost frightening in its intensity. "Hiya!"

"Eep!" The two blockers squeaked as the ball whizzed by at almost supersonic speeds before slamming to the floor with an impact that echoed throughout the gym. Everyone present was stunned into silence.

"S-Scary…" A player from the other team choked.

Then the silence was broke by a squeal, "Kyaaa, Yamamoto-kun is sooo cool!" And then an astounding amount of girls began chanting, "Go, go-go-go, Ya! Ma-mo-to! Fight, fight-fight-fight, Ya! Ma-mo-to! A-gain! A-gain! Yama-mo-to! Yama-mo-to!"

Tsuna was almost insulted by this on behalf of her team, considering how hard the others of the actual volleyball team had struggled for their skill and normally would have been denied a chance to play. The fact that they were cheering for someone who was actually from another club was beyond frustrating… But she had to admit, that had been an extraordinary spike, especially since it was the first spike he had ever done as far as she was aware of. Sometimes it was terrifying to see the raw athletic talent of people like Yamamoto who would be skilled in practically any sport that tried.

Briefly, she considered asking if he would be willing to join their club instead if it turned out that he was indeed being pushed into baseball by his parents, because with a spike like that, it would practically guarantee him a spot with the regulars. She ended up dismissing it as a concern for a later time and turned her attention back to the game.

Yumei remained off-guard for another two rallies before their coach called a time out. The next time they came back, they brought their game along with them, quickly taking back the points that Namimori had stolen from them. Before they knew it, Yumei had taken the first set: seventeen to twenty-five. The obligatory three minutes between the sets seemed almost too short of Tsuna as she anxiously sucked on a honey lemon slice, glancing at her five team members. They were disappointed for losing the first set, she could tell, but they, fortunately, weren't crushed quite yet, taking their disappointment to strengthen their resolve.

The second set was that much closer between the scores: twenty-two to twenty-five. Still behind, but not from lack of trying. By this point, Yamamoto had firmly established himself as 'Prince of Whales' in Tsuna's mind. An English title she had no compunction in sharing with the rest of the team, explaining the American term to them. In English, 'whaling on' means to hit or attack, therefore making a 'Prince of Whales' as a player who spikes the ball as hard as possible no matter what. The boy took the name in stride with a sheepish grin and laughter that only become more hysterical and gut-burstingly contagious when the team continued to jokily called him 'Prince Yamamoto, Lord of Whales'. Entirely ridiculous, but it did the job in raising moral.

They narrowly won the third and fourth set. And the decision-making fifth set ended with the score of thirty-one to twenty-nine in their favor.

* * *

The next morning, despite being even sorer than she had been two days ago, Tsuna got up at a half past five again. This time on purpose, as she decided if Kyōya wouldn't come to school, then she would just go to his house to apologize, despite how long of a walk it was from her house. The woman-turned-girl had been on cloud nine since the victory from yesterday and she wanted to make this winning streak of good fortune to continue, this time by setting things right. She was ready by ten to six; school bag over one shoulder, her gym bag over the other, and a simple backpack containing the wrapped tonfas was on her back.

The Hibari estate was on the outskirts of Namimori, far enough that the nearest neighbor was seven kilometers away but close enough that the address was still listed as part of the town. Normally, the idea of walking eleven kilometers there and about eight to the school was enough of a deterrent, that the blonde would only make the reversal of this trek after school with her friend. Usually on his motorcycle if he had happened to ride it to school that particular day, dropping her off at her house after wards.

Still, today was a necessary exception.

Shifting her bags once again so that they were situated more comfortably, Tsuna jogged the last hundred meters towards the gate. It seemed that the blue-haired Miki was on watch today instead of her brother, Kozue, which was relieving, given that said brother was an incorrigible flirt with Tsuna, despite being eleven years her senior. She knew he just did it to get a reaction out of her rather than any pedophiliac attraction, but damn him for being so good looking and close to the age she used to be!

At least she didn't have to worry about receiving the same from the indifferent and aloof Miki, that was a whole other can of worms that the blonde didn't want to explore.

Greeting the other woman politely with a breathless 'good morning', Tsuna made to move past the female sentry, only to be stopped with a solid arm. Miki shook her head before she informed the blonde with her gravelly husky voice, tone brooking no room for argument, "Sorry, Sawada-san, but until further notice, you are no longer welcome to Hibari-sama's estate. I will have to respectfully ask you to leave the premises."

Tsuna froze, choking out, "E-Ehhh?"

For a moment, a flash of pity crossed the physically older woman's face at the blonde's stricken look before Miki's poker face was once more reinstated. Gently, she repeated, "As of three days ago, you were prohibited from entering these grounds until further notice, Sawada-san. We weren't to harm you should you come, but we also weren't to allow you in under any circumstances by orders of the heir."

"Kyōya-san…" The teen reaffirmed, her voice faint as she stared blankly at the mansion beyond the gate, a cold lump of dismay developing in her gut. She had understood that he had been grievously upset, probably angrier with her than he had even been before, but it had never, _ever_ , crossed her mind that he would be so infuriated to the point of willingly forbid her from even getting remotely close to him. In all of her nine years and seven odd months of knowing him, she had always been allowed in the estate; there had actually been times where he dragged her there unwillingly back when the friendship had been new and she had been trying to escape his clutches. To have this happen…

Something in Tsuna broke a little.

She hated that being good at the things that didn't truly matter, and terrible at the things that did. _It's funny, the things you remember_ , she thought bitterly to herself. _ **Now's**_ _the time_ _I figure out the answer._ Faced directly faced with the possibility of losing Kyōya, she found the solution to her previously phrased dilemma about which held priority in her life. Tsuna now had no doubt in her mind, that if Kyōya asked her to give up the sport, she would. It would be hard, she would probably cry, and there would be a part of her that would always call her back to the game, but in comparison to losing the only friend she had? The only person who anchored her to this world beyond Nana? There would be no joy in the game. She would be worse than when she started off when it was just her and the sport, as then it had been something to keep her grounded into existence that she happened to enjoy. The memory would be soured.

Still, she didn't believe one bit that he would ask that of her, just as she wouldn't ask him to stop fighting. While he did hold a belief of debts and grudges, and base his life on that belief to an extent, he wasn't the sort of person who would ask something so large in return… Tsuna had to hold on to that hope, that she still knew him as well as she thought she did. The only way to pay back the debt would be to give what she had taken.

The tonfas seemed that much heavier on her back.

While there was nothing she could give in return for wounding his pride, she could give back that much and hope that Tetsuya was right. That it would be enough for Kyōya to call it even and she would be given the chance to build up their relationship back into something resembling what they used to have, even if it was only a mere shadow. Gathering her courage, the woman-turned-girl asked with a quivering voice, "Can you give 'im somethin' for me, since I can't do it in person? _I owe him_." At the blue haired sentry's nod, Tsuna took off the backpack and gingerly handed it over.

She stood there for a handful of seconds, at a loss and looking a bit like a puppet with its strings cut off — _no direction or purpose_. Looking up one last time at the mansion, eyes searching, Tsuna willed for the Skylark to appear at a window, just for a moment…

But no such thing happened, and resigned, the blonde turned and left; her heart heavier than it had been in days.

* * *

 **Reflective Sky 04: Fin.**

* * *

 **Volleyball Vocab:**

 **Net Height – Varies depending on the age and gender of who's playing.**

 **Floater – A serve where the ball doesn't spin, making it unpredictable in its trajectory and speed, and therefore hard to read where it will land.**

 **Libero – The libero is a player specialized in defensive skills: the libero must wear a contrasting jersey color from his or her teammates and cannot block or attack the ball when it is entirely above net height. When the ball is not in play, the libero can replace any back-row player, without prior notice to the officials.**

 **Bump – The bump is the most basic and most essential skill in volleyball. The bump is used to hit a ball that is below the head, and is typically used as the first touch to receive a serve or return. If you're going to master volleyball, you'll need to master the bump so you can both receive and pass the ball.**

 **Touch – A block where the ball just brushes the fingertips.**

 **Attack Line – The 10-foot line.**

 **Stuffed - The receiving end of a stuff block. A stuff block is when a player jumps above the net and blocks the ball back into the person that spiked the ball.**

* * *

 **Regular Vocab:**

 **Honey Lemon Slices -** **In Japan they're big on serving honey soaked lemon slices during sports games, especially when the players take a break and need a recovery food. It's really similar to serving orange wedges during recreational soccer games.**

 **Bosō Shoten - An actual store in Akihabara, but the whole underworld side to it is entirely fictional as far as I'm aware.**

 **Seijin no Hi - Coming-of-Age day in Japan. Birthdays aren't generally celebrated the same as in Western culture. There are special birthdays that hold importance: shichi-go-san (3, 4, & 5), hatachi (20), kanreki (60), kiju (77), beiju (88), and hakuju (99). Anyway, it's a Japanese holiday held annually on the second Monday of January. It is held in order to congratulate and encourage all those who have reached the age of majority, i.e. twenty.**

 **Miki and Kozue – Extremely loosely based off the fraternal twins in '** _Revolutionary Girl Utena_ **', except flipped and with a twist.**

 **Chabudai – Those short tables that are low to the ground.**

* * *

 **Okay, before everyone freaks out with shipping chaos, explanation time!**

 **So, the word for 'Rabbit' and 'Bunny' are essentially the same: Usagi. The way it's being used here is with connotations to make the distinction instead of separate words. Rabbit is 'Usagi-san' (or just Usagi, since Kyōya can be rude as hell with his tendency to not use honorifics with people he either doesn't respect or are around his age and likes [read: Tsuna and Tetsuya, because he** _ **does**_ **respect them]) and Bunny is 'Usagi-tan'.**

 **Yes, '-tan', an honorific of a small child's slurred mispronunciation of -chan. If it is used by an adult at all, unless speaking to an infant or toddler, the person is most likely being a sarcastic ass. Or Kyōya Hibari (not that there's much of a difference surprisingly in this version of him).**

 **Fin!**

* * *

 **A/N: Alright, so that's done. There was going to be much, much more... but this chapter went into an entirely different direction than I was gunning for. Danjuro wasn't supposed to exist but there he is.**

 **Don't forget him, he'll become important later on.**

 **Also, angst. A fuck ton of angst. And swearing. I swore more in this chapter than I have in my whole writing career on this account. Usually, I have more restraint but... Well... Emotions.**

 **Not much more I have to say, just that the next chapter with have more cannon elements and Hayato Gokudera: mega dork extraordinaire. Also, Hibari giving Tsuna the cold shoulder making her panic. And memes! All the dank memes!**

 **Anyway, vote on the poll on my profile for a one-shot (summaries in the profile page itself). Expects updates for Lotus & Clover next month and the two promised one-shots on the 15th.**

 **Thank you for reviewing, you glorious magnificent people.**

 **(EDIT 1-27-16: Added more story content and proof-read.)**


	5. Borderline

**If you haven't seen the new content in chapter 4, this chapter might be a little confusing as to why Tsuna's so… OOC for how she's been normally portrayed up until now. It's not necessary to read said new content to understand and enjoy, but it might be helpful.**

 **Also, I am deeply sorry for any Italian speakers in advance. All my excuses are in the A/N at the bottom.**

* * *

 _I'm borderline happy, and I'm borderline sad._  
 _I'm borderline good, and I'm borderline bad._  
 _And I can't get rid of a tingling fear,_  
 _[That] You'd sort me out if my head gets clear._

 _I live my life in shackles, but I'm borderline free._  
 _I used to be blind, and I still can't see._  
 _And I won't get around to a change of mind,_  
 _As long as nobody breaks my stride._

-Borderline, Tove Styrke (2014).

* * *

 **Albedo Caelum 05: Indeterminatus.**

* * *

He had only been here for four days, and already Japan was starting to grate on him.

Admittedly, a lot of that had to do with him being out of practice with his Japanese, considering that he had five other languages under his belt and he wasn't exactly a fucking linguist; he just had to learn out of necessity. And English, Spanish, Russian, and Mandarin Chinese covered a lot of territory, more so than Japanese which was, for the most part, exclusive to the tiny archipelagic country it originated from.

But Hayato Gokudera was nothing but adaptable; he _had_ to be to survive in the ruthless world of the Mafia. And when the opportunity for an extremely well-paying job was presented to him — _by_ Vongola _no less_ — he knew that he couldn't refuse. Both because he wasn't in the financial position to do so, and because freelancers didn't refuse jobs from powerful famiglias after being given the details; if they wanted to live to see another day, that is.

He knew from the beginning how this would leave him — _eh, how exactly could he phrase how much trouble he was in?_ _Fondelli, preso per i?_ — that there was no way that a famiglia would willingly _kill off its only suitable heir_ , especially considering hits weren't his specialty; espionage and sabotage were more his speed. He had deserted the _merdoso_ Euscorpius famiglia in disgrace — _instead taking on his mother's surname_ — and, despite all his accomplishments as freelance, was considered entirely disposable. They probably planned to use him as cannon fodder, the perfect victim for the future boss's first kill. Hayato wasn't stupid, so if you thought you could fool him with the whole 'kill the heir to become the heir', you could just _mettilo nel culo_ …!

Ahem.

Back to the original point, he wondered how desperate, how blinded by anger and emotion, how ignorant to the works of this dog-eat-dog world they thought him to be. He was angry, yeah, but that only meant he was more likely to _ignore_ the warnings others would hesitate at, not be unable to see them all together! And that time he wasn't even angry, just offended and tired of all the political dancing around. They thought he was ignorant and tried to use him, a dreadful mistake on their part, _una solenne minchiata_.

He laughed at them.

( _Laughed to cover up the hurt and self-loathing from all the rejections he had received over the years he had lived on the streets of the underworld, freelance and famiglia-less with no connections or networks to speak of._

 _Hayato laughed until he cried, and cried until he screamed at the unfairness of it all._

 _What had he done to deserve this? Exist? It seemed like reason enough for everyone else._ )

He was probably going to die here.

(Vaguely, he found it morbidly amusing to come up with the things those asses would say to make themselves feel as if they weren't utter trash but, somehow, superior to him, 'the half-breed dying on the soil its mother had spawned from' or some _palle_ like that. Although, he was probably coming up with better insults than the _testa di cazzi_ would. It was both funny and depressing.)

But he was nothing but professional when he had to be. If he was going to die, he sure as hell wouldn't be going down without a fight. Kill the heir? You fucking asked for it. Don't come crying to him when all was said and done (although, they were more likely to take him out than whine about it. Honestly, though, they should have thought this through better, overconfident pricks. 'Greatest Hitman in the World' for a babysitter or not, once a big enough bomb goes off, there's no stopping it).

So he spent the first two days setting up shop and doing reconnaissance. He found the target on the third day but saw nothing particularly 'mafia' about her. Sure, she was athletic and had a pretty face, but those were the only redeeming factors he could actively observe about her. Hayato was sure he was missing something, but everything seemed to point to 'civilian with benefits'.

He wondered if that happy, oblivious teenaged girl knew what it was like to fight for her life. What it was like to be on the verge of death but finding the strength to drag her half-dead carcass out of danger and somehow survive by the skin of her teeth. What it was like to have everything she ever worked for be rendered meaningless and brought to nothing because of her parentage, because of her background, because of her lack of status? What it was like to live on the street, starving from no edible food for nearly week and filthy from being unable to shower in at least twice that amount of time? What it was like to know her life was a lie, for longer than when she had been ignorant and content?

He wondered if she ever had to work for anything at all. If she ever knew true loss. If she ever hated everyone and herself so much that she wanted to just end everything and everyone in one giant explosion. If she had ever been so socially isolated, it felt like she didn't know what it was like to interact like a normal fucking human being, let alone be treated like one… If she knew what it was like to just resign herself to an inevitable death and walk towards it because she saw no other solution.

But then again, it didn't really matter if she did, did it? They were both dead men walking.

* * *

She ditched both practice and class today.

Something in Tsuna had shuttered closed, leaving her feeling cold and detached to her surroundings. The blonde had been out of sorts since the perceived rejection and was gradually backsliding into her old _Bad Habits_ as the day went on. She had sequestered herself in the reception room in an effort to become one with the paperwork. It was stable. It was _safe_. And, best of all, she didn't have to deal with people to get it done, didn't have to think. The only thing that was expected of her was to sign here, fill in the blank there, and sort everything into a tidy and orderly fashion.

Tetsuya had only needed to take one look at her face earlier that morning — _not to mention her showing up that early at all implied something was deeply wrong, considering how zealous she was with the only other extracurricular activity she was a part of_ — and murmured quietly that he would take the lead as next in the chain of command instead of her. Not wanting to bother the morose and curiously blank blonde any longer, he left the room; leaving all the paperwork, plans concerning the remodeling of the more degenerated sections of the neighboring town Kokuyo, and scheduling the rotation of duties of the Committee for Tsuna to do.

While it may have seemed like a rather callous treatment of Tsuna's obvious internal distress, it was actually a proper display of how well he knew her. Normally, he didn't abet her workaholic and slightly anti-social tendencies that were directed to anyone who wasn't her mother, Kyōya, or part of the Ikka which expanded to include the Committee as a subsection; it wouldn't do for her health or that natural charisma of hers to wither away. Both because there was the danger of burning herself out _and_ because it didn't escape him that Tsuna didn't have any friends of her own gender, let alone ones from her own year. Tetsuya usually made it his business to discreetly prompt her to be more social (just as he did the same with Kyōya, only with the goal of being more tolerant to the masses…). Still, he could tell that she was at her breaking point, was just one irritant away from a breakdown.

Whether she would burst into tears or fly into a fit of violent rage remained to be seen; neither of which being desirable outcomes.

So, the third-year left her to it, knowing how she would lose herself in her work and go into an almost trance-like state, relaxing under the continued repetition of the task. He would take up the responsibility of keeping the school in line and the Committee in perfect operating order. If Tsuna felt up to it later, he was willing to listen to what caused her to be so upset… Although, he had a fairly good idea what the cause might have been, considering she wasn't the only one in a mood and with obsessively zealous workaholic issues.

From what he had seen of Kyōya yesterday, the heir likely wasn't going to reemerge from the Hibari estate until next week at the earliest and even then it wasn't very probable. It had been a long time since he had seen the younger teen like that… So _driven_. It was almost terrifying. Hopefully, he would watch the recording; it just might help to snap him out of the frenzy he was driving himself into, for both his and Tsuna's sake. Their instability tended to feed off of each other.

Kyōya Hibari was **_never_** approachable when he got like that, to put it mildly.

And Tsunaoko Sawada was not much better; actually being _worse_ in some ways since it was unknown just how far she would go when she utterly lost it.

Tetsuya had a feeling that Kyōya caught a glimpse of this three days ago on Monday and fed off the madness.

He cast a brief glance behind him to eye the diminutive girl who was completely absorbed in her work. In some ways, their relationship was poisonous, a constant push-pull with unhealthy attachments on both ends; if one was to leave, the other would crumble completely and utterly, the dependency near-absolute. In other ways — _discovered and validated from rumors and reports as well as extensive conversations with Tōchō_ — they surely built the other up into something stronger and _more_ than what they were before and _continued to do so_. As proper friends should.

However, the vice chairman knew, something would eventually have to give. At the moment, to borrow a phrase from Tsuna's favorite sport, the ball was in Kyōya's court now and it was up to him to make the next move. Hopefully, it would be the right one, whatever that may be, otherwise Tetsuya would be facing the fallout on both sides.

Tsuna, meanwhile, was oblivious to her comrade's ruminations. Sums and numbers flitting through her mind as she added up expenses, mind blissfully occupied by her mental math. She noticed when the third-year left but held her silence, not having the energy to speak at the moment, just feeling tired and strung-out (although, at this point, she had reached an equilibrium between depression and a bland resignation of whatever came gunning for her next, as being _constantly_ emotive was exhausting).

Idly, she wondered what fresh hell Reborn had waiting for her at home in concerns to his unorthodox tutoring methods and if she should be worried about that letter he had put in the mail, as it had contained her test results from yesterday. Then there was also that shipment of nitroglycerin that he had gotten last night which Tsuna was pretty sure could be found in explosives. _Violent_ explosives. If that wasn't foreboding in concerns to her future wellbeing, she was slightly hard-pressed to find something else that most certainly was.

But not paperwork. That was easy. And easy was good.

So the blonde heartily waged war against the stacks of paperwork that had been accumulating over the last two days without the Committee's chairman being present to do his share. There may have been a sudden decrease in damage reports and ACFs (Anonymous Complaint Forms) being turned in but that only meant more reports being turned in by the committee members in relation to the rising number of 'uppity brats' and 'cocky little shits'. Their words, not hers.

But it was true.

Without the head prefect striking fear into the hearts of all the ghetto seniors and wannabe-yankī students, they all began to crawl out of the woodwork, stubbornly continuing with their rampant rule-breaking even after getting disciplined for bad behavior. Like a hoard of cockroaches. Even worse, a lot of the repeat offenders were long overdue for a detention, some already past six strikes, making them eligible for double-detention considering the 'Three Strikes' code the Committee enforced.

If this wasn't handled by tomorrow, the blonde would step in. Compared to Kyōya, the other seniors just weren't that impressive and Tsuna was feared by the other students, especially in her year, for good reason. Her cold and detached frown of disapproval could be quite unsettling; not to mention, with a killer one-two punch combo coupled with her tekko… Well, it was more merciful to be found by another Disciplinary Committee member or a member of the staff than found by either the chairman or the manager/secretary/editor/mascot/ _whatever_ of said committee.

For now, she merely signed off on the reports and updated the files of all the recurring offenders as well as make three more files for some new culprits.

Steadily, without her noticing, her first three classes of the day went by and ended. By the time free period opened up for lunch, Tsuna's utter exhaustion had finally caught up with her and left her sound asleep on the low coffee table, ballpoint pen still firmly clutched in her hand. Tetsuya had opened the door to check on the blonde's progress, only to blink at the scene. A mischievous smile grew on his face as he slowly withdrew his phone, snapping a few pictures to add to the countless others he had to be used for blackmail or bribes.

After he was finished, he carefully covered her with the Committee gakuran that she kept in the closet and almost never wore, before collecting the finished paperwork and leaving silently.

* * *

Hayato was losing his patience.

The heir of Vongola wasn't in class, something that was apparently _normal_ for her. According to the other students, it appeared that she was more likely to be found with the 'Disciplinary Committee', patrolling the school with the other prefects. This basically made all the time he spent in getting himself in enrolled and gathering fake documents a pointless exercise, a waste of energy. He had been aiming to apply a steadily increasing amount of pressure on the heiress throughout the day, intimidate her for a reaction in evaluation of her character.

(There hadn't really been a point for that, let alone a need. It had merely been a bid to stall for time in the hopes to evade death for just a little while longer.)

Either way, there wasn't much of point to bother playing the role of a student any longer, especially since he had espied Reborn in the tree outside the window earlier, staring at him. It made him break out into a cold sweat. The empty gaze, it seemed to convey that Hayato's death would be coming sooner rather than later if things weren't moved along faster. Likely by the not-toddler's own bare hands, as this particular kill wouldn't even be worth wasting a single bullet. It was a lot to be translated from a mere look in someone's eyes, but somehow the pint-sized hitman managed it

(Actually, Reborn had fallen asleep with his eyes open. Hayato's sleep-deprived and highly-stressed mind just had an overactive imagination and a gradually increasing amount of paranoia.)

At first, the freelance saboteur was merely content to heckle the Committee members he found in the halls and stalk away when they didn't prove to be helpful to him — _half from wanting to save as much of his explosives as he could for the actual show down with the heiress and half from the fact that they were civilians_. The longer that he was misdirected or flat-out refused, the more frayed his nerves became, however. Especially when one of the members actually questioned him for his motives and attempted to give him trouble for his silver hair with the excuse of it being 'against school rules'.

And then when other committee members came over to see what the heated argument was about and proceeded to join it, the Italian's limited patience frayed entirely. It was taking too long and he really just wanted to get it all over with. Smoking Bomb Hayato pulled out his infamous custom squibs; the civvies wouldn't die, but there would be pain, screaming, and a large noisy attraction for his target to home in on. There was _no way_ that Sawada would be able to miss this.

* * *

Tsuna, having been on the other side of the school, slept straight through the first series of explosions as yesterday's strain on her body finally took its toll and dragged her deep into the Land of Nod in the hopes for rejuvenation. It was an extremely rare incidence of her sleeping not unlike the dead or an especially dense log. It was only after both Gokudera and the Committee's battle royale relocated to the space outside the window of the reception room that she woke up when a particularly volatile explosion went off.

Scrambling up from her position halfway sprawled on the table, Tsuna untangled herself from the gakuran and raced over to the window behind Kyōya's desk. Thrusting her head out the window, she screeched in an alarmed panic at the sight below her, "What the _hell_ are you doin'?! Are you _insane_?!"

Twelve committee members were in various stages of consciousness and injury, Tetsuya being the only member standing against a student that Tsuna didn't recognize. Said student appeared to be the source of all trouble, holding small object in his hands that she desperately hoped were just fireworks for everyone's sake. All around the ground were craters and scorch marks littering the once immaculate lawn, debris from the school wall itself dusted the property in the nearby vicinity, and there was an a _bush_ on _fire_. Distantly, Tsuna could hear screaming and crying of students, shouts and wailing from the staff, and, to her utter dread, the sirens of several emergency vehicles fast approaching the school.

In total, it was complete bedlam, and Kyōya was going to **_murder them all_**.

And now the delinquent responsible had just taken out the only other sane man left and was hollering — _something that was probably supposed to be threatening, but she hadn't been paying him much attention_ — at her. Lips pursed in burgeoning horror as she bleakly watched the always dependable _Tetsuya Kusakabe_ crumple to the ground with what looked like first to second-degree burns. There was no way that Kyōya was going to forgive her now, not with his territory being destroyed and subordinates being laid to waste.

Back stiffening in terror, Tsuna whirled away from the window and out the reception room. If she hurried, she could still fix this. She could still return everything to order. This… This _boy_ , whoever he was, was going to help her do it, too. And also be assigned one, no, _two_ months' worth of detentions, which was technically labeled 'community service' work with the Committee but it really wasn't anything so conventional. In reality, they were the Committee's [read: Kyōya's] indentured servant in doing all the dirty work that was somewhat 'civilian' friendly with a little bit of illegality on the side. It was hell. It wasn't fun. And it generally did the job in keeping offenders from getting into trouble again; although, most first-time offenders found that it wasn't worth breaking the rules again after Kyōya 'bit them to death'.

Tsuna really couldn't go along with that kind of behavior, especially not of this scale. It was unacceptable and needed immediate correction. The detentions would be well spent by cleaning up the school, and he could be later utilized for helping with the Kokuyo situation. Not to mention, now was as good of a time as any to nab the students who had been overdue for detentions of their own, the moment after she finished with the Firework Menace.

She jumped down two flights of stairs to make it to the ground level and made to sprint for the school grounds when a person stepped forward to block her way at the other end of the corridor. Seeing that it was the very person she had been heading for, Tsuna skidded to a stop. The boy sneered impressively. "Your wussiness is an eyeful," he told her disdainfully, arms crossed and entirely unimpressed with the figure she presented.

Unthinkingly, she retorted heatedly, "Oh, yeah? Well, your _face_ is an eye _sore_!" The blonde inwardly grimaced at the poor insult. It really hadn't made any sense, considering that the student in front of her was actually pretty attractive in a foreign sort of way. Silvery hair that was a bit on the shaggy side and shoulder-length, flashing green eyes that were hardened and almost crystalized in hostility, and European bone structure that was _easy_ on the eyes rather than a pain of any sort (although, there was also a hint of Asian features peeking through, mostly in his skin tone and around the eyes). The only thing that detracted from his appearance was the cigarette and the rather ugly scowl marring his face.

Still, it didn't deter Tsuna much as she pressed forward, her anger with the teen and herself carrying her forward. The foreigner watched in a dumbfounded and mystified manner as the waif of a girl boldly brought out a pink pad of paper and began to write on it, her tone an icy calm as she listed his grievances, "Hair dye's against Namimori Middle School rules. Explosives of any kind, recreational or otherwise, aren't allowed on school grounds. And with attacks against the Disciplinary Committee members, destruction of school property, 'n' disturbance of the peace… I'm finin' you with two months' worth of detention, which's equated to fifteen hundred hours've community service." Finished, she tore off the slip and stored away the pad before striding over and slapping the sticky end of the paper on his forehead.

The taller teen stumbled away, ripping the paper from his face to read it before crumpling it in an agitated fashion, snarling, "You think I was _joking_ about what I said before? You're such a nuisance. Die right here." Bringing out something that was most certainly _not_ a firework, he lit it with his cigarette before tossing it at her with a ring-clad hand. " _Arrivederci_."

"Hieee!" Tsuna squealed in startled alarm, fumbling with the lit dynamite before throwing it up in the air. A gunshot rang out and the resulting speeding bullet severed the burning wick from the stick, rendering the explosive harmless for the moment as it clattered nosily on the ground.

"Ciaossu," a familiar childish voice greeted, causing his pupil to whip around in surprise.

"Re-Reborn!"

The not-toddler ignored her for the moment, electing to study the fuming and tense freelancer across from Tsuna. "Hayato Gokudera," he greeted. "You came earlier than expected, but your presence is not an unwelcome one."

"'Earlier than…'?" The blonde repeated flatly, her expression taking on a blank countenance at the insinuation of betrayal. Her tone was deathly quiet as she asked, "You two know each other?"

"In a manner of speaking," the pint-sized hitman confirmed in a rather vague way. "He's a freelance agent infamously known as 'Smoking Bomb Hayato'. He was hired by the Vongola family at my request for his reputation as being a 'human explosive device' from all the dynamite he conceals all over his body. It's my first time actually meeting him in person."

"Oh, my God," she placed her head in her hands, moments away from losing her mind as she screamed, voice muffled by her hands, "Damn Vongola, why's it always the mafia ruinin' my life?!" Taking a deep breath, she lifted her head from her hands and forcibly tried to contain her anger, to go back to the safe numbness and calm...

She failed when she spotted the damage on the school grounds outside the doors. _Kyōya was going to kill them all._

"Was there any particular reason _why_ Nami Middle was involved? Why the Committee needed to be annihilated like that? Hmm? If so, please enlighten me, 'cause I'm a little slow on the uptake, here!" She snapped.

"I'm here to end you," Gokudera answered, a vein in his neck throbbing in irritation from having to repeat everything he had shouted up at her on the third-floor window earlier… Not that Tsuna remembered. "Supposedly, if I kill you, then I become the heir to Vongola. Plus, I get paid for the hit… Who can say no to such a _generous_ offer?" Something in his answer reeked of a sardonic and skeptical view of the 'offer', as if he didn't truly believe in what he was saying. His expression didn't change nor did his tone alter in any fashion; however, something about it still rang false with the woman-turned-girl.

She attempted to call him out on it, distract both him and herself to regain control. "That's not how it works in the Underworld. Heirs're only viable if they've got the bloodline, _maybe_ through marriage. Why the _hell_ would they let an outside mafioso, an _unaligned_ one for _hire_ no less, kill off the only remainin' legit'mate heir to replace 'em? You're bein' played, Gokudera-san!"

The teen's expression didn't change other than his scowl becoming more pronounce as he snapped, "You think I didn't know that? This is Vongola. When they give you a mission, _you can't refuse_. Dead if I do, dead if I don't. I'll take the option that doesn't immediately end with a bullet in my skull." He withdrew ten sticks of dynamite and made as if to light them with his cigarette.

"Hieee, no!" Tsuna screeched in distress before bolting around her would-be assassin and bursting outside to the grounds. "Not in the school! _Not in the school_! Do you have a death wish?!"

"Tch, _'fanculo_!" He snarled around the cigarette before hurtling the lit bombs at her. The resulting explosion blew a hole where the doorway once was. The blonde had remained relatively unharmed as she had been outside of the blasting zone, but Gokudera may as well have inflicted her with a mortal wound as she sunk to the ground, her heart seizing in a cold terror at the sight of the damage he just did to the previously intact building.

 _Forget murdering us_ , she whimpered quietly to herself, working herself into a blind panic. _If only we'd be so lucky once he catches wind of this. He's going to hate me. I don't know if I can fix this, let alone actually beat this guy. Kyōya will never trust me or want anything to do with me again. I failed. I failed. I_ failedfailedfailed _—_

"This is it," the cause of all her current suffering muttered. Green eyes dispassionately glaring down at her prone form as the smoke cleared. He lit ten more bombs before hurtling them at her. "End of the line, Vongola Decima."

" ** _No!_** " Rolling out of the way, the blonde stumbled to her feet before diving out of the way of the explosion. She was showered in dirt and chucks of turf from the ground, her eyes squeezed shut to avoid getting anything in her eyes. Her ears were ringing, but her hearing wasn't necessary, just distracting. Blind and deaf, she pushed forward, swiping the grit from her eyes and peering through one watery eye. Smokescreen from the afterblast hung in the air like a dense fog providing both a cover to her and a visual obstacle.

She was going to kill him.

Kyōya may kill her, and the school staff, and the Committee members, and anyone else he fancied to, but she was going to kill this one first.

 _For ruining everything._

Snarling, Tsuna kicked Gokudera in the face making fall to the ground with a pained grunt and a spat, " _Cazzo_!", as he rolled to the side to avoid the haymaker gunning straight for where his face would have been. He swept the ground where the blonde had been standing with his leg but she merely hopped over the attempt to trip her up. Landing in a crouch, she lunged at the Italian with the intent to maim only to receive a solid punch to the jaw that set her falling down on her back. Both parties clutched at their smarting faces as they scrambled to their feet, glaring sullenly at each other and evenly matched in terms of skill.

As, while Tsuna could last in a fight with _Kyōya Hibari_ on even terms, she hadn't beaten him in a no-bars-held one-on-one fight in _years_ if one discounted the incident with the Dying Will Mode. She had become used to his fighting style and habits; built herself up in terms of speed, agility, and versatility; and resilient to hits that would down her peers because of conditioning from _years_ of taking those kinds of hits. This was made possible from her instinctively drawing upon her secondary affinity — _a cloud aspect_ — and harmonizing with it, again out of necessity from years of 'playing' with the young Hibari. And, while she had former-training in kobudō, she wasn't fighting with her mind at the moment, just instincts and emotion.

Hayato Gokudera had experience of fighting with all kinds of people in all kinds of situations. Not to mention, unlike the prefect, he was more than proficient at fighting at close range with just his bare fists as he knew that there would be times when his wide-range of explosives would be rendered useless. He was a brawler and hadn't been formally trained in martial arts, but he still had physical size and strength that was superior to Tsuna in every way in a straight-forward fist-fight. He also hadn't lost his head yet.

Tsuna rushed forward again, feinting with another right hook only to suddenly attack with an undercut from her left hand, hitting Gokudera in the gut with a solid 'thwack' as she got cuffed on the head. Pushing through the stars in her eyes, the blonde punched the taller boy again, this time hard in the ribs in retaliation. The Italian let out a pained grunt as he unconsciously doubled forward from the blow, but he took the chance to wrap his arms around his opponent, nabbing her in a headlock and started to strangle her.

Gagging and choking, the woman-turned-girl dropped her weight down and shifted back into her attacker unexpectedly. Reaching up to grab a strong hold on the teen's uniform, she flipped him over her bowed head and shoulders, using her hip and back as a fulcrum. She had nearly been crushed by his weight, but somehow managed sufficiently enough to escape from the chokehold by breaking it from the awkward angle. Diving forward, Tsuna tackled the downed bomber and grappled with him, intending to knock him out after beating him within an inch of his puny life.

The silver-haired teen spat in the shorter girl's face — _making her reflexively rear back_ — and took the opportunity presented to him to flip over their positions, slamming her head into the ground, furious. Hayato hadn't expected anything like this, hadn't _wanted_ it to turn out like this. It was supposed to be quick and fast, one giant explosion to end it all. Not… Not a tussle in the dirt where they were beating the shit out of each other.

He didn't like killing with his fists, never did. It was always too personal and _intimate_ , almost. Not to mention, it was easy for the tightly contained emotions within him to become undone, and he couldn't have that. This Sawada chick didn't deserve a slow, painful death like that, anyway. Slamming her head hard against the ground to leave the blonde disorientated and seeing stars, the Italian got off of her and stalked away bringing out more dynamite from seemingly thin air. "Sorry," he offered bitterly over his shoulder. "It's just business, nothing personal like _that_." Nothing that would warrant a death by strangling, in his book.

Tsuna couldn't quite make out what he had said over the blood pounding in her ears, but, just then, she could have sworn that she heard a gunsh —

 _Pain._

[Within Tsuna, something inside her screamed in defiance of death, at the sign of her failure to do anything right, at being so useless and weak, at the complete and utter _waste_.

She regretted that it ended that way and would have done anything, whatever it took, to succeed and not waste what she had been given if she just had a second chance, just one more chance, to _do it over_. **_No matter what_**.]

A feral howl of rage left the blonde's throat as the previously cooling corpse suddenly whipped into an upright position, clothes tearing and ripping in some places at the force of the flames bursting forth. " ** _With my Dying Will, I will prevent further destruction of Nami Middle and protect the members of the Committee. No matter what._** " She turned and glared at the saboteur, vibrant orange eyes flickered with a searing purple, wild and unseeing as she stared at him with a single-minded focus. The sheer intensity of that gaze deeply unsettled something primal within him and that something seemed to shift onto the defensive, guard up and hackles raised in fright.

 _That's not natural_ , he thought to himself with a shudder. _No way in hell that's natural_. Automatically, like he had done so many times before, he threw a barrage of bombs at the perceived threat to his person before retreating to create more distance between himself and his target. Already, he summoned more dynamite from their hiding places on his person. He braced himself for an explosion and made to maneuver so that he was in the path of her retreat should Tsuna escape or try to avoid the blast.

To his shock, instead of dodging the sticks, she chased after or caught them to defuse the wicks at speeds that were much faster than he thought possible for someone like her. The monster of a teenage girl then _lifted two of those huge goons_ on _her back_ from before and then _jumped up to the second story window_ where she had peered out at him from before. She was gone for a moment before she jumped back out of the window and landed like nothing happened, more concerned about picking up another couple of goons and doing the same thing as before.

Hayato was dumbfounded, watching the whole process with utter confusion. It was strange, impossible, and _didn't match up at all_ with anything he had been told. It was odd enough to make him stand there blankly and merely stare at the weird scene, wondering just what the hell was going on. He only snapped out of the trance when Reborn's voice carried over to him from where the not-toddler was sitting on the first-floor window, remarking dryly, "What a true gentleman, waiting until _after_ your target moves bystanders to safety." It was hard to tell if the pint-sized hitman was being sarcastic or not, but the message was received. Whether it had been the one Reborn wanted to convey or another one entirely harder mattered at the moment.

Swearing darkly under his breath, _when did everything get so damn complicated?!_ , Hayato withdrew even more dynamite, twice as much as before, declaring, "Double Bombs."

Tsuna was in mid-leap when the Italian threw the explosives, her body tensed under the weight of two Committee members and her head immediately whipped in the direction of the bombs. Landing on the window, she deposited the two taller, and significantly heavier, boys on the window sill before using it as a launching pad to hurtle herself at the dynamite sticks. " ** _Defuse_** ," she snarled gutturally. " ** _Defuse, defuse, defuse!_** "

" _Mio Dio_ ," the bomber gaped. "Just what are you?!"

The blonde didn't respond or even acknowledge his existence, instead turning to the five remaining Committee members and took two more onto her back before jumping up onto the window next to two other member who were still where she last left them. While she was occupied with bringing all four into the reception room to join their comrades who were on the couches, Hayato addressed Reborn as he kept his eyes locked on the window, "None of this was mentioned in the briefing."

"It was on need-to-know basis. You didn't need to know for the _mission_ ," the pint-sized hitman informed the saboteur carefully.

"Of course, _I_ didn't," the Italian grumbled to himself bitterly. "Why the hell would they? It's a suicide mission. I'm not supposed to complete it, so why would I need important details?"

The not-toddler hummed noncommittally, his cow-like coal eyes flickering over to the third-story window that Tsuna just leapt out of again before gazing over to where a Committee member finally stirred, having regained his senses. Misao Tsukushi, aged seventeen, held back a year due to low grades, seventh seat on the Committee. Not the weakest, but not the strongest either. Sharp brown eyes the color of aged bourbon widened as he took in the scene of destruction around him.

"Oh," he murmured weakly. "The Chairman's not going to like this…"

The teen visibly jumped when Tsuna zipped in front of him, her eyes still shining with a manic light and the colors of her dual flame. " ** _Tsukushi_** ," she growled.

"Y-Yeees-sss?" The brunette hissed out in surprise and a trace amount of fear. He had never seen his underclassman like this, and, frankly, he was having a hard time deciding who was scarier at the moment: Hibari or Sawada.

" ** _Take the others… to the infirmary_** ," the feral girl grounded out with some difficulty, as if having trouble ordering her thoughts together while in this state. " ** _I have… trash to deal with…_** "

"Ye-Yes!" Once the member had confirmed his co-operation, Tsuna had completely dismissed him from her mind, instead turning to provide Gokudera with her full attention.

To his credit, he jerked back only slightly under that heavy glare as she growled at him, " ** _No matter what, I will give you that detention with my Dying Will._** " It was the only warning he got before she lunged at him.

Normally, he would be a bit more careful with his explosives, as Hayato knew better than anyone just how dangerous his sticks of dynamite were, having been on the receiving end on more than a fair few occasions where he had been left half-dead and rueful of his mistake. The trick was to not fear his weapons but respect them. Respect meant to know just how far his abilities extended and where they ended. Respect meant not pushing those boundaries while in an uncontrolled situation. _Respect meant not being so fucking dumb while having enough explosives to blow up the entire school grounds and then some._

But he was backed into a figurative corner and panicked, snatching one and half times his maximum working amount. "Tri-Triple bomb," he sputtered, attempting to handle thirty-some squibs that he just lit into some form of an attack, only to drop them when Tsuna punched him in the face. She managed to defuse a little more than half before it was clear that she wouldn't be able to extinguish them all in time. With snarl of discontent, she bodily tackled the Italian teen and rolled the both of them away from the blast as the remaining twelve squibs detonated, the resulting smoke and debris hiding them from view of Reborn, who watch it all attentively.

 _Curiouser and curiouser_ , Reborn mused to himself pensively. _Despite how unstable she seems to be under the influence of the Dying Will, it appears to be natural for Tsuna to shift her priorities around as long as they fall under the original goal of her resurrection, the original regret that makes her defy death._ He hadn't noticed this before, as the only other example had occurred within too short a time frame for it to be noticeable or blatantly obvious; however, it was almost as if she was attempting to remove not only her external limiters but her internals ones as well. This left her in an in-between state with Dying Will and Hyper Dying Will mode.

If Reborn didn't know any better, he could almost believe that his student had naturally awakened her Dying Will before… He wondered if this had anything to do with how the Sky and Cloud had harmonized when they were both still young, one of — _if not_ the — youngest recorded harmonies, fully actualized or not. The files on them both, and said harmonization, had been suspiciously sparse now that he thought about it. Which begged the question if this was intentional or not. The pint-sized hitman was more inclined to believe that it was, considering this was the Mafia. The only question was who or whom was responsible for the absence of integral information.

Iemitsu Sawada was prime suspect. There was a lot of incorrect and missing information in the debriefing Reborn had been given, information that advisor had _personally signed off on_. And despite the ruse he put up constantly, the man was not nearly as stupid as he made himself out to be. Which meant he was hiding something. Something that probably had to do with the fact that Tsuna's flames were still active _past the five minute mark_. He might not be able to see her, but he could have picked her out while blind as her Sky flames shone like a beacon. Something that wasn't entirely normal or completely healthy for a young sky just learning to control their flames.

Once again, to ensure that no ill-effects occurred, Reborn was forced to use the one-ton reversal on his feral student, knocking her out cold. Frowning grimly to himself, he made a note to speak with Iemitsu at the nearest possible convenience. This was just getting ridiculous. The safeguard that was supposed to automatically undo the Dying Will mode had been bypassed or overpowered somehow, leaving the tutor forced to do it manually. It would make it easier to awaken Hyper Dying Will mode and later manifest her flames without a spark of some sort like a bullet or a pill, but right now Tsuna was too much of a hot mess for that to be a possibility in the foreseeable future.

Right now, she still needed to fully secure her storm guardian and make a proper preliminary harmonization, but seeing as she was unconscious, by Reborn's doing no less, well… He'd give her a helping hand in that regard, just this once.

"What."

The pint-sized hitman looked up at the Storm as the one-ton hammer reverted back into the shape of his chameleon companion. "'What'," he parroted back, somewhat amused at the teen's apparent speechlessness.

"That, it wasn't…" Gokudera swallowed apprehensively. "What was the point of this? What made you request some nobody freelance agent for this fake mission?"

"In simple terms? The heir to Vongola needs to collect guardians for her famiglia, and you fit the certain qualifications necessary to be applicable, one of which being that you were previously unaffiliated."

The saboteur considered this carefully, hesitant and suspicious, "What makes you think I'll accept her as my boss?"

"Do you?"

"I…" He pursed his lips and looked away from the pitiless black eyes, instead electing to rest them on the slack face of the unconscious Tsuna. Images of her fighting against him, carrying her subordinates to safety, tackling him to save his life… Gokudera clenched his fists, unconsciously scowling and itching for a fresh cigarette as he admitted haltingly, "I owe her my life. She had no reason to spare me, but… she did. I don't think I can trust her, but I'll follow her as long as she'll have me, until I pay off that debt."

The World's Greatest Hitman smirked to himself, as if he had heard a particular funny joke. Obviously, Gokudera had never heard of sky attraction, but his ignorance worked in Vongola's favor. Reborn certainly wasn't going to interfere with progress. Out loud, he merely suggested, "You can start by taking your new boss to the reception room. I have business to take care of." _Like the absolute mess you and Tsunaguro created_ , he left unsaid, feeling only slightly irritated at the chore in the face of the near guaranteed success. _Two guardians down, a minimum of four more needed_.

The saboteur twitched in surprise. "Wait, you'd leave me alone with her? Just like that?"

The not-toddler snorted, "As if you would do anything so stupid. And even if you did…" Voice trailing off, the Acrobaleno turned to face the teen directly, killer intent spiking as he aimed a gun directly at Goukdera's head, the safety clicking off. "Well, there's no need to explain what would happen next, would there? I can read minds, you know. You would be dead before the thought fully formed. Besides, loser serves the winner, and you're the type who still clings to ideals like 'honor' and 'morals', perfect for our little band of misfits. Not like you have anything better waiting for you, right?"

* * *

What Reborn had failed to account for was the possibility of the Sky rejecting the Storm and not the other way around. A 'near guaranteed' success was not the same as an assured one. And he, of all people, should have learned by now not to take such things for granted. Hayato Gokudera wasn't the only one who clung to ideals, even if Tsuna's were a little more practical.

"No," the blonde stated flatly, making the saboteur flinch in his dogeza. "I don't wanna minion who's forced to serve. I can't count on loyalty like that. Be stupid to trust my back to someone like you who despises me for tyin' 'em down."

"I can't accept that!" Gokudera snarled back, forehead still pressed to his hands as he strained to hold back the hurt. _Just another rejection. Why the hell did I expect anything different? Still, I can't fucking do anything, my hands are tied…_ "I-I still owe you my —"

"You owe me nothin'," Tsuna interrupted heatedly. "Nothin' but two months' worth've detention! I saved your hide 'cause nobody dies on Namimori Middle grounds unless they're bein' bitten to death. Just 'cause you're a punk doesn't mean you need to die here, _Dummy_. Other than that, what you do with yourself is your own bus'ness. If you really wanna serve under me, do it on your own damn terms; I won't stop you. I'd rather have…whoever you are when you're at home, than some gift-wrapped mercenary flunkie." Satisfied with herself, she slapped a pink-slip on the boy's still lowered head. "Anyway, detention starts now with fillin' in those craters you made, eh… Goku-san. Feel free to enter super-saiyan mode, if it'll help you get the work done faster."

" _I'm not some cartoon character!_ "

"You could've fooled me! Shoutin' out your attacks when you do 'em! Who the hell does that?!"

"S-So?! You started it!"

"Did not!"

"'I'll give you a detention with my undying will!'" The physically older teen cried in a high falsetto, imitating Tsuna.

"It's 'Dying Will', Dummy, and so what? I do what I want!"

And on the two of them went. Frankly, the pint-sized hitman was a little surprised at the sass Tsunaoko Sawada was readily dishing out. Likely, she was a little cranky and stressed from the use of the bullet. Still, it was an improvement from the breakdown and the object misery last time. Also, not the outright rejection he thought this would be. There was still a chance to foster a connection. If the young Cloud could force one by himself, then it would be no problem for the World's Greatest Hitman to design a harmony of his own making. A harmony was easiest to create when a Sky was feeling vulnerable and in distress, and without her sole guardian and friend around? Tsuna certainly met the criteria.

And if she was doing this poorly, the young Hibari couldn't be doing that much better, especially if he was feeling the pressure of an 'infiltrator' on his 'territory'.

* * *

Kyōya lied on the ground, struggling to catch his breath as he glared petulantly from under his sweat-plastered fringe. An irritable swipe to the forehead briefly cleared his vision but still didn't clear away his opponent. He as angry, angrier than what consistently losing to his father probably should have warranted. But he didn't care. No, the only thing he knew and wanted was to bite the older nikushokukei to death.

Pity that Kyōya was too weak to do so (like always). It made him pissed off all over again, feeding off of the unease that had crept over him in the last several hours, making his foul mood into something else entirely, something a little more bloodthirsty than the norm. Especially when said opponent who was partially responsible for his ire huffed out a long-suffering sigh, asking plainly and using the dreaded pet name, "Hicchan, are you finally going to listen to me? I've told you before that you're being too straight forward in your attacks. I can read them easily. You're not even making use of the gift that Nacchan gave you…"

He snarled in response.

The man's coal black eyes sharpened. "Stop being a child about this. Your pride is exactly the reason why she was able to beat you, why you can't move forward right now."

"'Pride is not something you can surrender'," Kyōya spat.

"'But nor is it something that can remain unchecked without discipline'," the older man hissed. "Don't attempt to use my words against me unless you understand them in their entirety, Kyōya. It's a dangerous game to play."

"Then what would you have me do, Father? I was…" _Defenseless._ "I couldn't…" _Do anything._ The prefect's voice trailed off into chagrinned silence.

"You could get stronger, just as you had done the last time your little bunny beat you in a fight," Tōchō told him softly, his eyes half-lidded as he observed his morose son. "Then you can keep trying to maintain dominance as the superior predator, a never ending struggle to the top… Or you could go with option number two."

"Which is?"

"Something you have to find out for yourself. You already have all the clues you need to find out the key to her strength: her gift to you and the tape Tetsu-kun gave you earlier… It will all become clear to you once you discipline your pride." He stepped forward and ruffled the younger Hibari's hair, ignoring how it was slick with sweat. "Let's go take a bath, Hicchan. It's the only proper way to wind down after a good fight." He smirked, gently inciting, "I'll even scrub your back for you."

Still, the teen wasn't completely swayed, even with the bribe. "But —" He was silenced with a finger being placed on his mouth. He scowled.

"Tomorrow night. There's no point in running you ragged as that will just mean you'll be useless for all of the next day. For now, bath and then the tape. Your clever little mind with figure out the answer soon enough."

* * *

 **Reflective Sky 05: Fin.**

* * *

 **Italian Vocab (Let's just get this out of the way…):**

 **Fondelli, preso per i – Grabbed/held by the short hairs. While in English this used metaphorically to mean you are in a situation you have no control over, in Italian it means you've been (metaphorically) screwed.**

 **Merdoso – Shitty. Commonly used to mean people.**

 **Mettilo nel culo – "Put it in your ass", similar to vaffanculo (see below) is equivalent to the American "Shove it".**

 **Una solenne minchiata – A solemn supremely stupid act.**

 **Palle – Balls. My favorite swear.**

 **Testa di cazzi – Dickhead**

 **Arrivederci –**

 **'Fanculo – Fuck off [short form of "vaffanculo", which in turn is short for "vai a fartelo mettere nel culo" = go and get yourself fucked in the arse .]**

 **Cazzo – [Lit. Penis (vulgar form)] Closest English equivalent = Fuck.**

* * *

 **A/N: Alright, so, my excuse(s) is (are) as follows:**

 **Hayato is predominately an Italian speaker and it is his first language. Also, as with most stories in fan fiction that take place in Japan, it's assumed that the default main language spoken is Japanese.**

 **How does this relate to me spending over six and a half hours of my life looking up countless Italian swear words and phrases and the definitions/usage of those swears/phrases in conversation before double checking their validity?**

 **Because when you're emotional or shocked or pissed, it's likely you're going to default to whatever your main language is, especially if there's something you want to say but you don't know how to say it in the extra language that you're not well-versed in. The mix of non-italicized swears? Are actually him swearing in Japanese _and_ English. I'm not ambitious enough to spend _more_ time trawling through the internet to find more swears in other languages. I _might_ make an exception for Mandarin Chinese, but probably not. I don't know. I haven't planned that far ahead.**

 **Anyway, there's also another very good reason for all those swear words and it has to do with a headcanon of mine where canon!Tsuna and Yamamoto had actually learned a lot of Italian from Gokudera, specifically dirty swear words. And the idea of them innocently (or not so innocently) spewing out the filthiest explicatives with the most oblivious of smiles…**

 **Imagine: Squalo swearing violently at Yamamoto and the baseball player answering with even _worse_ swears and one of his patent smiles.**

 **Imagine: Gokudera's _face_ when his beloved "Tenth" starts to cuss the very swears he had screamed out just yesterday, at Xanxus…**

 **Priceless.**

 **It gets even worse when Kyōya accident picks up a word or two and asks about them later.**

 **This probably doesn't excuse me from anything, but there it is. This is why I did what I did. If I wrote something word, feel free to correct me at your own leisure.**

 **Also, if you speak a language other than English, feel free to share all your dirty swears words, or idioms, or phrases, or little random words with the definition and proper usage, preferably in a sentence. I'll probably use them at some point, maybe. If I do, I'll credit whom I got it from.**

* * *

 **Anyway, sorry about this being so choppy. It was a struggle to write and ended up entirely too long to get from point A to point B… None of the characters besides Tetsuya wanted to co-operate. Mostly because Hayato and Tsuna are currently at odds with, and currently don't trust, each other. There's going to be a lot of suspicion and distrust for the next chapter between the two of them, mostly since Tsuna is pretty sure that Hayato is going to bail on her as soon as he's out of her sight. The next day for her will do much to ease their developing relationship as Sky and Guardian, hopefully.**

 **Anyway, fuck, am I tired. Staring at the computer screen this long is hurting my eyes. I'll try to keep the rest of this short for my sake as well as yours.**

 **In short order:**

 **1.) Yay, I have a new bookcover! A wonderful commission done by the lovely Dokinana.**

 **2.) I have a tumblr account link on my profile that has concept art for this story and extra headcanons and goodies. You can see what Tsuna looks like in greater detail there. She looks like such a delinquent.**

 **3.) I added another option on the poll on my profile for another KHR fic.**

 **4.) I'm writing a companion piece for this story about Tsuna and Kyōya that's very pre!canon.**

 **5.) I'm really tired.**

 **6.) I WILL UPDATE LOTUS & CLOVER ON THE 15TH! SWEARIES!**

 **7.) Today is my birthday. I'm six now.**

 **AND**

 **8.) I'm going to bed now before I pass out and my fat cats decide to sleep on my face and suffocate me to death.**


	6. Fortune

_Growing distance free of explanation,  
We're getting deeper in this mess.  
Take careful contemplation,  
I'd rather be spitting blood  
Than have this silence fuck me up._

-The Quiet, Troye Sivan (2015).

* * *

 **Albedo Caelum 06: Fors.**

* * *

Tsunaoko Sawada stared blandly at the awkwardly shuffling Italian who stood outside the Sawada residence gates the next morning. "How'd you find out where…? No, stupid question. Why're you still here? Thought you'd bolt the first chance you got."

Gokudera scowled, eyes still averted from her own searching ones as he reluctantly answered, "I'm here 'cause I felt like it. And with all the damn detentions you've saddled me with, it's not like I _can_ leave for the next two months... Jyūdaime."

An uneasy frown creased at her eyebrows as she grumbled, "No, don't… don't call me that. Didn't I just tell you that you didn't have to be my minion?" She hated it when people refused to behave within the parameters she privately set for them, when their actions betrayed the mental paradigm she had of them. It never failed to unsettle Tsuna and leave her on the defensive, especially considering that the only way she had gotten this far in this current life was by working with those pre-established expectations. This was almost as bad as the time Kyōya first broke her little mental parameters, but not nearly as painful — considering Gokudera didn't _actually bite her_ like the much younger Kyōya did. It was just… disquieting.

"And I already told you, I'm doing this 'cause I feel like it," the boy growled irritably, disliking having to repeat himself. "You're not what I expected at all, and that…" He huffed before kicking at the cement sidewalk, a frown working itself on his face. "That interests me, I guess, because for a boss, you seem... kinda decent. I mean, there's no assurance you're gonna stay that way, so I'm gonna keep watching to see if you can prove yourself or not."

"Well, any disappoint you get's gonna be on your own head," the blonde answered haltingly after a baffled pause, moving to brush past him and go on her habitual run to the school. "I'm not doin' this to meet _your_ standards, Dummy."

"Which is exactly why you meet them!" he retorted before flushing at the unintentional information he just spilled. He fumbled to fix the mistake, "At least, superficially. Until I figure out if you're faking or not, I won't be leaving you alone."

"…Wh-Whatever," the woman-turned-girl stuttered, feeling herself bristle in agitation. _Why won't he just go away and leave me alone?_ "Just — Just either keep up or get out've the way."

"Roger, Jyūdaime!"

"Qu-Quit it! 'S weird!" Tsuna wailed before running away to put as much distance as she could between herself and her follower, who lived up to his title and chased after his prospective leader.

"Not a chance!"

"Hieeek! Keruberosu's gate isn't closed!"

"I'll take care of it, Jyūdaime!"

"HIIIEEE, PUT THOSE AWAY! Didn't you learn your damn lesson yester — Gah! Don't punt the dog, oh God!"

"Well, how else am I supposed to take care of the rat?!"

"I dunno, glare at it?!"

" _Glare at_ — the _fuck_ you talkin' about? How's that going to do anything?!"

"Shows what you know, Goku-san! Go back to your dragon balls!"

"You can't just insult me and run away!"

"I'm gonna be late, I'll do what I want! Just stop followin' me!"

"Not a chance!"

By the time the both of them made it to school, it turned out that volleyball practice had been canceled anyway, due to the damage parts of the gym had suffered from the 'gas main blowing up from sporadic school renovations'. Gokudera was only spared a quick and violent death by Tetsuya Kusakabe's unknowing intervention when the upperclassman personally came to request Tsuna's help with organizing the school's rushed repair job. Just until more professional builders could come in during the weekend and take care of the rest. Gokudera, along with several other delinquents the Committee nabbed and the more able-bodied [read: not too badly burned] Committee members, spent the hour before school picking up the mess. Tsuna, however, spent most of that time fretting over the vice chairman.

"Most of it is just superficial," the physically older teen assured her. "No worse than a really bad sunburn. I'll have to deal with some blistering and sensitivity for the next few days, but the worst of it should pass by the beginning of next week…" _Hopefully by the time Bocchō returns_ , was left unsaid. Because, ideally, they wanted to ensure that no evidence of this catastrophe remained by the time the Chairman returned.

"Even still, I'm delegatin' you to paperwork duty," Tsuna informed him decisively. "A lot of this's my fault, 'cause of me bein' Heir and all. I can take charge've the Committee after homeroom. Test results just came in, and that's one thing I can't skip out on, unfortunately."

"It's no problem, Tsuna-chan," Tetsuya told her kindly. "Only problem is, what do you want to be done with the transfer student?"

"Nothin' you need to worry about, I'm personally takin' care've it. He'll be joinin' me in class and then will help with Committee duties in order to pay back all the damages rendered… I don't quite trust 'im enough to not keep 'im in sight during school hours yet." Actually, she didn't expect to ever get to the point where she could trust him at all. Tsuna could admit that he was trying to fix his mistake, and credit was given where credit was due in regards to the progress being made with school ground repairs. Beyond that, though? She didn't trust him, and by extension Reborn, not to pull something.

"Speaking of 'damages rendered'," the vice chairman brought up grimly, grass strand twirling in an agitated manner, "You need to turn in these forms to the principle to sign. Although the situation has been, ah, classified as a malfunction with the gas and electrical lines in the school from the various school renovations, some of the staff have been trying to lay blame on the Committee. And by some of the staff, I mean —"

"Takeuchi-kyoto," Tsuna hissed, tone absolutely venomous and her expression promising dark things.

"Yes, unfortunately. But seeing as she _conveniently_ doesn't hold any solid proof of the event, we're still in the green."

"She needs to be dealt with."

"Tsuna," Tetsuya groaned. "We can't just 'deal with' everyone who opposes us. It leaves too obvious a trail, you _know_ that. As long as it's just complaints, she's safe from retaliation. We know that; _she_ knows that. Her goal is to goad us into making the first move so she can play the victim and tarnish our credibility."

"I can make it look like an accident."

" _Tsuna_."

"No one will ever be able to connect it to me."

" _ **Tsuna**_."

"I have over four years of experience in hiding bodies."

"That's beside the point, Sawada!" The older teen finally cried out in exasperation, throwing up his arms in the air, completely _done_ with the blonde. "We can't do something that drastic; our hands are tied, and you know it! For now, she stays until she makes an active attack against the Hibari name or attempts in interfering with Bocchō's training as a yakuza oyabun."

"…Fine, sorry. I'm just a little stressed. This week's been absolutely insane." A horrendous understatement, but she couldn't exactly say that she felt as if her world was crumbling a little more the longer Kyōya shut her out, not without sounding needy and obsessive (which she kind of was). Tsuna might currently be a wreck, but she wasn't an obvious one. She managed to hold it together with the comforting thought that, while he hadn't forgiven her yet, Kyōya hadn't outright rejected her either. Additionally, she didn't particularly feel like she could go into any great detail about her mafia-tutoring and how she was sure that Reborn-sensei had it out for her.

So, understatement it was.

"Paperwork?" Tetsuya offered.

"…Maybe later today, since I won't be having practice until next Monday at the earliest." She had to fight the urge to glare in the sole Italian's direction, lest she felt the need to start a fight again. "Besides, that's _your_ duty today. Low stress, remember?"

The vice chairman sighed, "Right, right, understood. I would go now. No need to provoke your teachers any more than you already do with your frequent absences and low grades."

Tsuna scoffed but didn't disagree with him, finally taking the proffered forms and turning towards the school, tossing a careless wave over her shoulder, mind already on the conversation awaiting her.

However, she needn't have worried. The vice principal wasn't even present in the office and there was no trouble in getting in to see the principle… But somehow that made the teen more apprehensive than had she been hindered by Takeuchi-Kyoto. The woman was not one to run away from a fight, so for her to not even _attempt_ to fight was utterly disquieting and an indicator that a plot was afoot.

Or Tsuna was just paranoid, but arguably, it wasn't without good reason, given the amount of trouble she had gotten into in the duration of both lifetimes.

So, this meant she actually made it to class on time. It was almost like she was an everyday regular student, if not for the surprised and unreadable looks that she got from her peers. A known delinquent, honestly showing up to class instead of ditching, and it _wasn't a test day_. And with the rumors going around about the Committee being involved with the damages the school was rendered yesterday, her classmates were understandably wary around her.

Tsuna ignored them and took her usual seat, taking out her notebook and making an account for estimated costs for the repairs as well as a loosely compiled list for the day. Taking note of such things kept most of the important details more or less firmly lodged in her short-term memory. And worked to keep her anxiety under wraps. Kyōya was still absent. The school was still damaged. And Takeuchi-Kyoto was still plotting things. But right now, as long as she kept writing, the problems didn't seem quite so prevalent.

* * *

 **A/N: Yes, yes, I know, an obscenely short chapter after such a long time between updates; it's practically criminal. But it's just a show of good faith that I'm not, in fact, dead and have no intentions to abandon the story... I have just had many (critically important) life-changing events happen at the tail-end of 2016, big enough that I had neither the time or motivation to write.**

 **But I'm not dead, and neither is the story.**

 **I can't promise an exact time frame (you saw what happened last time I tried that;;;) but more stuff will be coming your way... Eventually;;;**

 **So, please, bare with me a little longer. Your patience and understanding mean more than you could ever believe!**

 **Also, I've been taking your criticisms and advice to heart and have been going through the chapters. I'm trying to make them more streamlined and less jargon/lingo heavy. Also, trying very hard to cut back on the exposition and heavy-handed foreshadowing;;**

 **Happy New Year,**

 **Stars.**


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